Zero Archive: Subject R1
by Xelrog
Summary: I am known as Zero, god of truth and passion. It is my mission to enlighten those who are lost to themselves by reawakening the passions that lay dormant in the heart of Man. To this end, I make use of my divine powers, bestowing providence upon those fortunate enough to find themselves in my care, and obedient enough to accept it. (WARNING: Adult content)
1. Introduction

The name of this subject is Ryuunosuke Fujinami. 17 years old; skin, fair; hair, black. A peculiar case, Ryuunosuke is a young woman who has been raised as a boy since birth by her eccentric (if not outright insane) father, who is consumed by his desire for a male heir. The man has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant lack of care for his daughter, a feeling that is mutually returned, leading the two to fight incessantly. Ryuunosuke desperately wishes to live as a normal girl, but is thwarted at every attempt by her cruel father, who hoardes money from her and refuses to grant her even basic allowances such as a girl's uniform or even a bra, both of which she has always dreamt of wearing. Ryuunosuke's challenging life has made her a strong fighter, and given her an affinity to the sea. Her fierce exterior hides her true feelings of powerlessness and frustration buried deep within… It will take time, and much patience, but I have taken it upon myself to help this girl finally achieve her dreams.


	2. Chapter 1

"YOU OLD PERVERT!"

Ryuunosuke's voice belted around the corner leading to the family's modest bathroom, as her father came sprinting out into the living area, defensively; the furious Ryuunosuke soon followed.

"I told you never to come in there while I'm changing!"

"Eh? What's wrong with a father and son getting dressed together?" the old man asked in his usual sardonic faux-obliviousness.

"I'm a GIRL, asshole!"

Fists flew.

This was a typical morning for Ryuunosuke and her father. Nothing ever seemed to change, no matter how much each harped on the other. In every case, things would ultimately result in a fistfight breaking out. Fortunately, Ryuu was a strong girl, and the two of them could go toe-to-toe almost evenly. The only disadvantage she had against the old man… was her sense of honor. He was the type of person who would do absolutely anything to gain an upper hand and come out on top, and afterwards think nothing of it. It could be difficult for one to believe that the two were related.

As usual, the fight ended with one of the two being hurled out of the small living quarters through the sliding front door which separated it from the school hallway. Ryuunosuke and her father had once owned and operated a small (and very unpopular) beach stand where they sold cheap, fried foods year-round, but ever since it had witnessed the misfortune of one of their more climactic fights, they had been reduced to living out of the Tomobiki High School student store, which Mr. Fujinami had somehow landed a job operating. Perhaps there was good reason the school had been nicknamed the "high school ripe for lawsuits."

It was Ryuunosuke's unfortunate loss today, as she was flung through the wooden frame with her bookbag in hand (this being her usual daily exit). Ryuu's record was now 4,348 wins to 4,404 losses. The old man couldn't beat her forever. Leaving in her usual somber attitude, Ryuunosuke departed for her homeroom class, only a short walk down the hall. As was typical of Ryuu's mornings, there was still plenty of time before class started, but she couldn't exactly go back and spend it at home. Luckily she had a couple of magazines on hand to read… mostly shonen manga.

The minutes ticked on, as Ryuunosuke sat at her desk, awaiting the start of classes with the usual weary sense of unfulfillment she had grown accustomed to. The clock moved quickly.

"Ryuu-chan~!"

A familiar voice rang in Ryuu's tired ear, accompanied by an equally familiar and unsettling touch running down her back that was enough to wake her from her doldrums in an instant.

"Moroboshi!"

One angry outburst later, Ryuu sat annoyed at her desk while one Ataru Moroboshi sat floored with a fresh lump on his head. One of Ryuu's classmates, he was the opposite extreme of her father, but just as bad in Ryuunosuke's eyes. It might have been nice that he was the only person to really treat her as a woman, if he wasn't a hopeless lech whose treatment of women in general was, let's say… less than admirable. It was so **un** admirable, in fact, that it was quite literally the stuff of legends—everyone on the planet knew his name, ever since that global crisis involving his alien princess fiancée. But that's a story for another time.

Typically, Zero made a point to catch his subjects in a good mood when he first presented himself to them. Unfortunately, for poor Ryuunosuke, this was what qualified as a good day; she'd never had the luxury of knowing any better. This, he felt, needed resolution. It goes without saying, of course, that Ryuu was caught quite off guard when she found that inconspicuous little note hiding in her bookbag.

"Meet me in the clock tower at 7:00 this evening. Come alone."

Ryuu knew this could be only one of two things—either another date request from one of the yet-uninformed freshman girls (a few still mistook her for a man), or a challenge to a fight. Given the wording of the note, she assumed it to be the latter. Situations like this only ever came from outside the school, so the clock tower was a pretty odd choice of locale. Hiding the note before any of her classmates (worst of all Moroboshi) could see the thing, Ryuunosuke began to prepare herself mentally for the inevitable confrontation.

The day passed with the usual classroom antics that invariably prevented any work from being done, followed unceremoniously by more hijinks at home, where Ryuunosuke's father once again felt the need to pick a fight, this time over dinner portions. There was simply no sanctuary for the poor girl.

7:00 rolled around. Ryuunosuke wasn't sure why exactly she had come. She was always too tired for a fight by this time of day. Why couldn't the challenge have been made for right after school? Surely she would go straight to bed as soon as it was over. Going to bed early made her father's early morning rises at least a little bit more bearable. But, for whatever reason, she was here, standing at the foot of the stairs leading up to the school's clock tower. Maybe she just needed something to take her mind off of these other aspects of her life, or maybe she just wanted to let off some steam. Whoever was waiting for her at the top of the tower didn't know what he was in for (so she thought).

Having found her resolve, Ryuunosuke wearily climbed the tower steps, raising the trapdoor leading to the inner workings of the clock cautiously and climbing up into the small wooden area. Certainly, no one would try to fight her in here—it was much too cramped.

"So you came. I'm glad."

A deep, young male voice echoed from behind Ryuunosuke as the trap door fell shut behind her, and she quickly turned around, raising her guard. She was prepared for a throwdown.

"…eh?"

What she did not expect to see was a naked man standing in wait, the dim moonlight gleaming off of his pale, waxed-looking skin. He was of fairly muscular build, with an enormous scar branding his torso… and a somewhat disturbing lack of pupils. Her mind immediately assumed the worst, as she fell back in sudden surprise, then quickly raised her guard once again.

"What…what the hell are you doing up here?" she asked, panicked and confused. "Don't get any ideas! Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm weak!"

Without waiting for a response, she lunged at the seedy stranger, fist outstretched and lined up perfectly for contact with his face. Before she could realize it, however, the man had swiftly raised one of his own hands and caught Ryuunosuke's punch, stopping it in its tracks.

"I know you're not weak, Ryuunosuke," he stated calmly. She tried another punch with her free hand, which also wound up being caught. "In fact, you're one of the strongest girls I've ever laid eyes on." Ryuunosuke was getting angry at this point, and used one of her legs, still free, to attempt a kick. Amazingly, the man managed to twist his own leg around hers mid-kick, catching it as well; both were now interlocked by all three limbs, not accounting for those they were stood upon.

"Let… go of… me!" Ryuunosuke struggled fiercely, trying to free herself from the strange man's grip. He was clearly much more powerful than her, as much as it pained her to think about. Without another word, he released his grip of her, allowing her to fall back to the ground below (landing oddly softly, she noticed, as if cushioned by an unseen force). The show of power managed to sedate Ryuunosuke at least somewhat, but she was no less wary of this strange man and his motives.

"Please, relax. I'm not here to fight, and I have no ill intent," he insisted to her, now sprawled on the floor in front of him. She wasn't quite so ready to believe him.

"All right, so why the hell did you bring me up here, then? Why did you want me to come alone, and… and why the hell are you naked? I'm warnin' you, if you try anything…"

The man chuckled, amused by the crude implication. He then introduced himself as Zero, the god of truth and passion, and announced to her his intentions in meeting her.

"What would you say if I told you that I could make all of your problems disappear?" He conveniently ignored her final question.

"I'd say you're trying to con the wrong person," Ryuunosuke replied wryly.

"And if it's not a con?" Ryuu listened, unconvinced, as Zero continued. "I travel to many worlds, take on many disciples… and you, Ryuunosuke… well, I want to help you."

"Pass," she replied, waving her hand as she quickly turned back for the trapdoor.

"What? Not even going to hear me out?"

"This kind of stuff happens too often around here," Ryuunosuke responded. "Some freaky monster or alien shows up, things get crazy, and half the town winds up destroyed. It's better to just avoid these kinds of situations. And besides… I don't need any more responsibilities in my life right now. So… see ya'."

"You could dress like a girl." This line from Zero suddenly caught Ryuunosuke's attention, as she froze in her tracks. She was instantly more willing to hear his request.

"What was that?" she asked, inquisitively.

"Train with me," he began, "and I will provide for you. You can live away from your father. Comfortably. Eat what you like, buy what you like, dress how you like. Bikinis, bras… sailor suits, even."

Whoever this person was, he knew Ryuunosuke's weaknesses well. She had no greater desire than to wear those most sacred of feminine garbs she had been denied all her life; at school, she wore a boys' uniform, it being the only one her father would allow. She kept her breasts wrapped in bandages. Her father called them "mosquito bites" that needed to heal. If there was anything that would convince Ryuunosuke to participate in some crazy scheme, it was the promise of a sailor suit. She bit her lip, apprehensively.

"I understand what you must be thinking," Zero continued. "'Anything that sounds too good to be true, is.' But… consider how much you have to gain if you do trust me. Consider the life you could have. The life I could give you."

The taste of blood fell upon Ryuu's lip, as his words cut her deep. Finally, she turned to him, traces of the tears she couldn't show beginning to swell in her eyes.

"You're really serious? You're not messin' with me, are you? You're not gonna say this was some kind of joke later on?"

She was trying to be threatening, but it was hard to be intimidated by her when she was trying so hard to hold back her pain. This was her true self, which she had been forced to stifle all these years… the side of her that was tired of having to be so strong all the time. Zero was surprised to have caught a glimpse of it so soon, and, without another word, stepped up to Ryuunosuke and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. She tensed up at this—there was much progress to be made with her.

"I mean every word. I want to help you," he insisted. "I told you to come alone to prevent any of your classmates from meddling in this affair. Mendou and Moroboshi have the habit of sticking their noses in where they're not wanted." He topped this statement with an exaggerated eye roll, necessitated by his queer optometry.

Ryuunosuke's stifled tears were replaced with a soft chuckle of her own. He knew her classmates well. It was definitely a good thing neither of those two knew about this meeting. Still, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed… this had happened so suddenly, and without any kind of warning. If his words were true, this would be a life-changing decision, and it didn't seem like something she could be expected to answer so suddenly. Before she could say a word about it, however, Zero beat her to the punch, having expected such feelings:

"I'll be waiting here tomorrow at 2 p.m.," he told her. "That'll give you some time to think it over."

"But-"

"If you have any questions about me or my offer, I'll be happy to answer them then. Why don't you go and get some rest for now?"

Ryuunosuke knew that Zero meant well, but thought that last line sounded a bit too much like an order. Still, he was right. More than anything, she needed some time to absorb all of this. It was certainly a lot to take in. And so, Ryuunosuke left the tower, still curious about Zero's true motives… and still wondering why he had been naked. These unknowns (as well as her father's snoring) kept her up for hours.

Morning came slowly to Ryuunosuke, and brought her no less confliction. Even her father, oblivious as he was, picked up on her somber demeanor. She was much less combative this morning than usual.

"Eh? What's the matter?" he asked. "Not sleep well?"

"Hey, Pops…" she said, "what do you think it'll be like when I move out on my own?"

"Hm? What are you talking about?" His tone became stern. "You'll inherit the Hamajaya family business and take care of me, of course."

Ryuunosuke fully expected this answer. His ideas for Ryuunosuke's future were perhaps the only predictable aspects of his character. Somehow, his statement didn't hold the same power it once did, though, and Ryuu remained calm.

"What if I started a new branch somewhere? Then what would happen?"

"Hmmm…" Her father considered this seriously. Or, as seriously as he ever considered any idea that wasn't his own. "It could happen. Of course, first, we'd have to find you a good wife. Yup."

He nodded matter-of-factly, pleased with his own deduction. Ryuunosuke was losing her patience, and it became clearer with each answer that her father was never one to change… ever. Still, she had to be sure.

"Well… how would you react if I suddenly disappeared one day, and you never heard from me again?"

"What in the world are you on about, boy? How would that happen?"

Ryuunosuke suppressed her incredibly strong desire to correct him, arguing about her gender; instead, she offered a passive-aggressive response: "I get kidnapped, okay?"

Mr. Fujinami contemplated it for several moments, obviously deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.

"I don't know what I'd do if that happened. Why, I'd be at the end of my rope."

This answer gave Ryuunosuke at least a little bit of hope. Maybe he did care about her, in his own twisted way. He couldn't be that bad a father, right?

"What would that mean for the family business?" he finished. "Why, it'd be the end of Hamajaya!"

…and that was that. He didn't care at all. He was only interested in his own lazy self and the family business, which no longer even existed. In fact, every penny Ryuunosuke had earned doing odd jobs around the neighborhood had gone into the Hamajaya fund while her father hardly did anything at all, lounging about their small living quarters all day and haphazardly selling defective merchandise to students during store hours. There was just no hope for him. If he was going to stick to the bottom of the barrel of humanity like the barnacle he was, she wasn't going to be stuck down there with him.

Classes came and went, and finally, the time came. Ryuunosuke met with Zero, alone, again in the clock tower, and without another question or thought, agreed in whole to his offer. Zero was very enthused by this, and handed Ryuunosuke a piece of paper with an address printed on it. She didn't recognize the place… she would probably have to ask for directions. He told her it was up to her, whether she wanted to leave with her father's knowing or without—if she chose the former, he would offer his assistance in sedating him, if necessary. Though she appreciated the gesture, Ryuunosuke thought it best to simply leave without telling him.

After all, she knew he wouldn't care.


	3. Chapter 2

1:00 a.m. It was dead quiet. Ryuunosuke's father had long fallen asleep, and she herself was doing her best to pack her meager few belongings as silently and stealthily as possible. She knew how erratic her father was; he could wake up at any time, and for any reason, and she wanted to avoid being the cause. It hadn't taken her long to pack at all—she had started at 12:30, and already, was struggling to find anything else to bring. It was a depressing reminder of just how little she actually owned.

All that was left was the bathroom. All it had was a few small trinkets of hers in the cabinet, practically nothing at all. As she loaded them into her small bag, an unwelcome, sinister voice spoke from behind her.

"Ryuunooosuke…? Going on a trip?"

Tough as she was, the poor girl nearly screamed when she turned to see her father's gruesome expression only inches behind her, like a mad apparition; clearly it was the face of distrust.

"I'm just going out for a walk, is all." She was a lousy liar.

"Oh, so you're packing for a walk? Where are you headed for? Hokkaido?"

She didn't appreciate his sarcastic humor.

"None of your business," she replied snidely. She continued packing the last of her things, turning her back to him. If only he could be deterred so easily.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with those questions you were asking me this morning, would it?"

"Urk…!" He was smarter than she thought. At least, when he wanted to be. Which was only when he knew it would cause her suffering. Ryuunosuke contemplated for a minute or two, considering her words carefully. Finally, she decided… she was cornered. All she could do now was tell the truth. "Fine. I'm leaving, okay?"

Her father looked at her, bemused. "Don't say such things. Now come on, get to bed." He started back towards their sleeping area, motioning her to follow, but she continued what she was doing, ignoring him. "Ryuunosuke…" he began, sternly.

"I've made up my mind." She wasn't going to budge on this. She'd already decided that, and nothing he could say was going to change her mind.

"That's enough," he retaliated, a bit more firmly. He reached out to grab her small bag. "Now stop what you're doing and-"

"Give me that!" she shouted, pulling her bag back. The two were immediately locked in a tug-of-war over the object. As always, things had inevitably turned into a fight. It could have gone no other way. Fortunately, however, this time, Ryuu had an ally… and just as it seemed he was about to overpower her, her father collapsed in a heap on the floor, flat on his belly like a pancake.

"Ack! What is this? Have you learned some kind of magic? Alien technology? Real men don't need cheap tricks like this!" He continued to bark and yap at her, paralyzed on the ground below. True, his will was the kind that could never be crushed or broken… but as he was, he was no threat to Ryuunosuke. It was as if a great weight had been placed upon him, too much for his body to possibly bear on its own. She was free to finish her packing and make for the door unhindered.

"Ryuunosuke, m'boy! Don't do this! Think about the family! Think about Hamajaya!" he continued belting in his hollow anger, trying helplessly to intimidate her. He no longer had any power over his daughter.

"Goodbye… Dad." The small tear in her eye was not from their parting, but from seeing a man as strong as him barking so helplessly for her. She wished she had been able to reach him. She wished he had allowed her to, that he had accepted her. It was at this moment that she realized that, as much pain as she was in, the person she really felt sorry for was the old man. And with that, she left the room with her things, hoping never to return.

…of course, as dramatic as her exit had been, she would still be attending school. Certainly it wouldn't be the last she would see or hear of her father. This was just the beginning of what would undoubtedly become a long and epic conflict. It was practically guaranteed. "But enough thinking about that," she mused. Ryuunosuke had a new life to look forward to… hopefully. Her "asking for directions" plan had fallen through, having failed to realize she would be making her escape in the middle of the night. She looked at the small piece of paper in her hand, at a loss, unsure of how to approach this new predicament.

"Straight ahead past the school gates for a couple of blocks."

"Hm?" She must be going crazy. Ryuunosuke could swear she had heard someone's voice in her head. A male voice… Zero's?

"Relax. I'll help you find your way." The voice spoke again. Ryuunosuke was curious, but supposed she shouldn't be surprised. Zero's claims of divinity were becoming less unbelievable with each new feat. Truthfully, he'd probably already broken the laws of physics by managing to restrain her father. She was glad that Zero had been looking out for her, even though she had intended to leave without telling her father at all. She also wasn't sure if she'd have to speak out loud for Zero to hear or not, and didn't want to risk being caught by some stranger talking to herself in the middle of the night. So, she silently followed his instructions and, before long, arrived at her destination.

It was a small plot of land with a traditional-styled structure on it. Nothing fancy, not much of a yard… but the house was still bigger than anything she'd ever dreamed she would live in. Until now, she thought she'd be lucky to get her own wooden cart. Her father had made her pull the Hamajaya cart every time they'd taken their business on the road.

"Damn it, no more of that!" Ryuunosuke shook her head fiercely, as if trying to loosen any lingering thoughts of her previous life with her father. She truly hoped that Zero's promises would all be fulfilled, and that that shadow of doubt still lingering in the back of her mind could be silenced, stashed away where she would never have to think about it again. With wary hands, she reached for the front door and cast it open.

Darkness.

"Welcome… to your new home."

That familiar, billowing voice was accompanied by the spontaneous flip of the lights, illuminating the room in full. It was amazing. Western seating, a small dining area, a television set… this one room was bigger than the entire space Ryuunosuke had shared with her father. Was it really all for her? As her eyes scanned the whole of the room in wonder, they eventually fell back upon the figure standing in front of her.

"…gah!" She'd been too distracted to pay it full mind, but she now realized that Zero was once again stark naked. "Man, can't you put some clothes on?"

Her host shrugged indifferently. "I'm a god. What use have I for clothing?" Brushing off the discussion, he turned around and motioned for Ryuunosuke to follow. "Come with me."

With that, he provided her a full tour of the humble abode. It had a modest kitchen, with all the necessities; a full bath (Ryuunosuke had never even seen one before), two bedrooms, laundry machines out back, and even some extra storage spaces scattered about. It was an overwhelming gift, to say the least. Zero continued.

"You seem to like it; I'm glad. This will be our new home."

"Wait a minute, 'our?'" Ryuunosuke wasn't expecting that last part.

"Well, I need a place to stay while I'm visiting this world," he replied, nonchalantly. "I trust you won't mind."

"I mean… I guess not." Ryuunosuke didn't want to seem ungrateful, certainly. Zero had been much better to her than her father had, in the short time she had known him. The whole "no clothes" thing was all that really had her concerned. She hoped it wasn't permanent. Perhaps she should bring it up with him at some point, she thought. Ryuu was usually very audacious, and spoke her mind at the drop of a hat, but it would be terribly rude of her if the first thing she did was start criticizing him after he had done all of this for her.

"Besides…" Zero went on, "I don't mean to be rude, but you're very… sheltered."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked him, a little abrasively.

"You're a smart girl, but I think there's a lot about living on your own you haven't really experienced yet, thanks to your father."

She felt a little bad at having gotten upset, once her father was mentioned. It was true… thanks to him, there was a lot in life she hadn't been given the chance to live. But that was all behind her now. Annie found Warbucks and Ryuunosuke found Zero. Strange though he and his apparent wealth was, right now, he seemed like the best thing that could have happened to her. Thoughts like these, in turn, made him all the more happy to help her.

With both his and the house's introductions finished, Zero offered to show Ryuunosuke her room. It hadn't occurred to her just how late it now was—nearly 2 in the morning. Bed seemed like a good idea… probably. If Zero had any ill intent, this would be the perfect opportunity for him to put it into practice. But she was too tired to pay her cautious side's doubts much heed, and followed obediently. The room itself was nothing spectacular—very plain, very ordinary. Zero mentioned something about her being able to decorate it however she liked, but Ryuunosuke didn't pay him much attention, being too absorbed in the bed. It looked a dozen times nicer than the thin floor mat she had been used to… and when she lay herself on it, it felt a hundred times nicer. Recognizing her reverie, Zero excused himself for the night. Sleep came quickly.

It was a very good thing that it was the weekend, as Ryuunosuke had no intent of getting out of her comfortable new bed a second before she had to. She was able to sleep well into the morning, or at least until nature's calling forced her out of bed. Once she was up, however, she saw little reason to climb back in, and instead made her way out to the foyer, where she found Zero sitting in some odd meditative state. He greeted her without so much as opening his eyes.

"Good morning."

"Mornin'," she insincerely responded, trudging past. She was not a morning person, even this close to noon.

"Hm? You're still wearing your clothes from yesterday?"

"…huh? Oh, right," Ryuunosuke slowly responded, ignoring the question of how Zero had noticed that with his eyes closed, as well as her thought that a naked man should criticize anyone's choice of attire. "Well, I only got one other outfit, so I figure I should make 'em each last a couple days or so."

"You haven't checked your dresser, have you?"

Ryuunosuke had not. She didn't even realize she had a dresser. She hurried back to her bedroom to investigate and, within moments, a triumphant cry of victory was heard echoing throughout the building.

"They're… here! All here! Bras, panties and blouses… pants in WOMEN'S SIZES!"

Ryuunosuke couldn't contain herself. She didn't want to contain herself. It was all she had ever dreamed and more. Finally, she would be able to dress her gender, just as she had always wanted. It was a dream come true… so much so that it was hard for Ryuu to believe it was really happening after all these years.

"Okay, okay, calm down," she thought to herself. If there was one thing she had learned, it was that if something was going to interfere with her happiness, it was going to happen at the very last second, just as soon as she dropped her guard. Her father would come bursting through the window in a frenzy, or some flying saucer would land and destroy the house, or… she didn't even want to think about the possibilities right now. This was her moment of triumph. She was GOING to make it so. Forgetting to even close the door, she hastily undressed and pulled out some garments—anything she could get her hands on.

One very haphazard dress session later, Ryuunosuke stood in a bright pink midriff, brown khakis, and white boots. It was an atrocious combination by any standard, made all the more apparent by the chuckle she heard from the door frame. Once glance revealed Zero standing behind it, looking quite amused.

"Wha… how long have you been there?!"

"I didn't watch you undress with the door open, if that's what you're worried about."

Ryuunosuke flushed red, half with embarrassment and half anger. "Bastard!" In a flash, she lunged at Zero, but he swiftly caught her punch, swinging it around and locking her arm firmly behind her back; she was stuck in a hold. He hadn't even been trying.

"Relax, I said I wasn't watching. I just noticed the door was left open from the living room," he insisted. Ryuunosuke hardly heard him over her own struggling to break from his grip. As if toying with her, he spun her around his arm, freeing her but keeping her own hand in his. He raised them both up and took a good look. Ryuunosuke glared back as he once again tried to stifle a laugh.

"Maybe we should coordinate a little more," he suggested.

"At least I'm wearing clothes! Pervert!" she snapped back. Her bark didn't have much bite to Zero's ears. Calmly walking over to the dresser, he examined some of the clothing she had yanked out onto the floor, as well as those still in the drawers. After a moment's pause, he started listing off a few suggestions.

"Let's try a front-hook bra. The one you've got there is falling out of place."

Ryuunosuke looked down and, realizing the cups were slipping under her shirt, hastily crossed her arms in front of her chest to support them as Zero continued.

"Jeans would look cute on you, but you probably want something a bit more feminine. Capris, maybe? And… here we go…"

Ryuunosuke barely understood what he was talking about, instead watching him pull out various articles of clothing as he spoke like a deer caught in headlights. After a moment, he'd put together a few items he thought fitting of her ensemble. Being herself, Ryuunosuke wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the idea of wearing an outfit someone else had chosen for her, especially after she finally had her freedom to wear what she wanted, and made it clear to Zero that this was exactly how she felt. Him being himself, he wasn't particularly affected by her disapproval and quietly left the room.

She immediately brought the outfit over to the mirror and started changing into it.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, it did work pretty well—and she looked more feminine than she ever had. Without wearing a tutu or anything, of course… she was desperate, but not crazy. She didn't have to wear it, right? It was her choice. Yeah. She could put on any other outfit she wanted; she just didn't want to. Her wardrobe decided, she left the room with confidence, without a care of what Zero might say. Fortunately for her, he didn't utter a word. She instead found him back in his weird meditation position. Feeling a little guilty for giving him so much grief when he hadn't been anything but gracious, Ryuunosuke softened upon approaching him.

"Hey… you mentioned something about training together, right?" she asked. "What was that about?"

"Mmm…" Zero thought aloud, not moving from his spot or opening his eyes. "I don't think we're quite ready yet."

Wrong answer. "Are you sayin' I'm not strong enough to take you on?" She got up right in Zero's face and glared at him. She would have grabbed his collar, had he happened to have been wearing one.

"You misunderstand the nature of my training," he affirmed. "Although, you're not wrong. As you are now, you're much weaker than I."

There were two things one never called Ryuunosuke: The first was a man, and the second was weak. And God help anyone who had the nerve to call her a weak man. Hoping to knock the smug deity down a peg or two, Ryuunosuke tried to strike him on the head, but was promptly repelled, sent square into the wall behind her.

"What the…?" The confused Ryuunosuke was at a loss. She had struck with full force, but hadn't even made contact—some invisible force had stopped her hand in midair and deflected it backwards. Zero sat still in his meditative pose, not having moved nor flinched since their discussion began. "You know, it's not fighting if you don't even move!"

Taking this as a challenge (and always up for a good sparring match), Zero finally opened his eyes and calmly rose to his feet, then invited her to attack again, entering a defensive stance. Ryuu was wary at this point—thrice now she had lunged at him, and thrice now it had been turned against her. Maybe this time she should wait for him to make the first strike. And so, she waited… and she waited. Waited. Waited, and waited. Those few seconds seemed to last forever, neither of them willing to make the first move, until finally, Zero spoke:

"You're learning, it seems." A grin appeared on his face, and a moment later, he pressed the attack, lunging at Ryuunosuke. She tried to jump back, but underestimated his reach, and before she knew it, felt herself being raised off the ground. With no time to struggle, she braced for the inevitable throw to follow… but instead, did not move. Opening her eyes again, she found herself in Zero's arms, honeymoon-style. That rotten, smug Casanova.

"Put… me… down!" Ryuunosuke squirmed and shouted and, after a brief moment, Zero obliged, setting her back on her feet. She was less than satisfied with how this fight had ended… but now realized she was clearly out of her league. "How'd you learn to move like that?" she asked.

"Details are unimportant," Zero replied. "Let's just say one has to learn a few things when regularly fighting for his life."

Ryuu's curiosity was piqued, but she didn't want to show it. "Yeah, well… girls aren't supposed to fight, anyway, right? I don't need to train to do more of it, now that the old man's out of the picture."

Zero smirked his secretive smirk that told Ryuunosuke he wasn't taking her statements seriously, probably because he knew something she didn't. It was getting really aggravating, that smirk. Living with an all-knowing deity was going to take a lot of patience on her part.


	4. Chapter 3

Sunday passed without fanfare, as Ryuunosuke had what may have been the very first free day in her life to relax and enjoy her own private space. It was a luxury she would not take for granted, and would do anything to maintain now that she had tasted it. Needless to say, this suited Zero's needs to a T.

Monday arrived, and Ryuunosuke woke to someone else's touch… strange. Fumbling about, she turned over and saw Zero standing over her, plainly.

"…gah!" She nearly fell out of bed in reaction, thanks in no small part to the fact that he was in her room with her while she was barely dressed. Granted, she was more dressed than he. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"You're lucky I am," he pointed out, motioning towards a nearby table clock. "You've got less than an hour until class. I'm a nice guy, but I'm not going to wake you up every morning. You should really set an alarm."

Ryuunosuke barely made out his last sentence, having already rushed for the bathroom, whizzing past Zero in a frantic morning stupor. Zero contained his reaction and calmly followed her to the bathroom, this time standing outside as he spoke.

"I said an hour, not five minutes. There's no reason to be in _that_ big of a hurry."

Inside, Ryuunosuke heard his words and realized he was right; she still had plenty of time. She wasn't the best at processing information this early in the morning… not to mention that being able to start her day in any kind of relaxing manner was still completely new to her. Along with the realization that she had some time to spare, Ryuu came to the realization that she had just gone running to the bathroom in her underwear in front of Zero… and worse, she now had nothing to wear. Looking in the mirror, she hadn't a shred of clothing on except for the panties she had worn yesterday. It was bad enough he had seen her once, now; she certainly wasn't going to go back out there topless.

A pause. Zero waited outside the door for a response.

"G…Go away! Go… wait in the kitchen, or something!"

Ryuunosuke **felt** the smirk through the closed door. He replied: "I'll go elsewhere. I've left an outfit sitting right outside the door, if that's what you're worried about."

The fact that Zero always seemed to have an answer for every little thing was also incredibly aggravating somehow. It had its uses, but there was something not to be trusted about someone that seemingly omniscient, she thought to herself. A minute or two passed and, once she was sure Zero was gone, Ryuu poked out of the bathroom door and, sure enough, there was a small pile of clothing lying just outside. Perfect. She nabbed it and retreated back inside.

One glance and Ryuunosuke was overjoyed. It was a sailor suit—not the boy's uniform she had been wearing for the past two years of high school, but a proper _girl's_ uniform! The second she put it on, she felt as if she could die happy. It was times like these that she truly appreciated everything Zero had done for her, quirks aside. Her life was really turning around for the better, it seemed.

A short breakfast (prepared by who else) and modest farewell later, Ryuunosuke was off for classes. Fortunately, her new abode was not far at all from the school, and she remembered the route between the two well. She arrived with plenty of time to spare. Unfortunately, there was a dread encounter awaiting her arrival at the school gate.

"Ryuunooosukeee…"

That crude, rancid voice… that twisted old face… it could be none other. Ryuunosuke's father stood waiting for her, rather unhappily at that. Then again, it was difficult to tell when he was really serious or upset. In retrospect, she couldn't think of a time he'd _ever_ been truly serious. He was probably just exaggerating for effect, as always.

"Where have you been? And what is that silly getup you're wearing?" he asked.

Having put her demons to bed earlier in the week, Ryuunosuke wanted no confrontation with her estranged father. Avoiding eye contact, she solemnly tried to pass him by, ignoring his questions.

…no dice. He swiftly grabbed the back of her collar as she passed. There was no avoiding him… but she had already had a hunch of that.

"Where are you going, boy?"

Now Ryuunosuke was upset. "Damn it… I'm a GIRL!" She tried to retaliate, but her father dodged as whimsically as he ever did. The two were fairly even fighters, but he always had a sort of unpredictability to his movements. Before Ryuunosuke could react, she had lost her footing and was trying to recover her balance as Mr. Fujinami occupied himself observing her sailor skirt prudently.

"No, no, no, this is nothing a young man should be wearing. Let's just get rid of this."

With that, he yanked the thing off of Ryuunosuke, tearing it down the hem. Ryuunosuke barely had time to react and cover herself.

"…Ah!" Her hands moved to her groin. She was wearing panties, of course, but that didn't mean she wasn't shy about people seeing them. It took a moment to process the reality of what had just happened, but once she had, she was furious. She flew into a rage against her father, but as always, they were simply too even. Neither of them escaped the fight without due battle scars. Ryuunosuke's sailor suit took the brunt of her damage, however, as her father had made it thoroughly unwearable. The skirt halved and the blouse torn to tatters, Ryuu was left in nothing but her underwear. Her father must have been very shaken up by her departure, as he had never gone to these lengths in the past. For the first time in a very long time, Ryuu actually felt like crying. Her father didn't care. His victory was within his sights.

"Hm. That's too bad. Well, you'll be happy to know I brought a spare uniform, just for you!" He produced a boy's uniform in her size out of nowhere, just like the one she used to have to wear. "I'll just leave this here." With that, he dropped it on the pavement and almost skipped back to his shop, giddy as a schoolboy. Ryuunosuke now stood, barely covered by her own arms, in the middle of the path between the school building and the entrance gate; she was attracting a lot of attention from other students, but was too distraught to pay much attention to it.

"Ah! Ryuu-chan! …urk!" The enthused Moroboshi was cut off with a powerful blow to the head from their more sympathetic female classmate, Shinobu. Aside from Zero, she was the only one who always seemed to be there for Ryuunosuke, now helping to cover her and trying to calm her down, quelling her tears of anger and self-pity. Ryuunosuke knew the scene she was making, and she knew that her only remaining option was to wear the uniform her father had left her. It was a reminder that he had once again beaten her, and if she wore it, it would continue to be a reminder throughout the rest of the day. The absolute worst part of it, though, was that she just plain didn't have a choice anymore. She had been forced to hand him this victory, and that killed her more than any physical injury he could have inflicted.

The day crept by slowly, Finally, classes came to a close, and Ryuunosuke returned home, now more determined than ever. Upon opening the front door, she found Zero waiting for her, as he always seemed to be. No better opportunity could she have asked for.

"I want you to teach me to fight. The way you do," she said. Her eyes were lit with a ferocious drive the likes of which Zero had not ever seen from her; it was powerful enough to surprise even him. He knew instantly what situation must have led to this.

"Let me guess. Your father?"

Ryuunosuke glanced at the ground, still frustrated in her defeat. Even now that she wasn't living with him, her father persisted as an insurmountable obstacle to her womanhood. For all her new home's comforts, her situation hadn't changed: She still had to defeat him before she could put the man out of her life for good, in more ways than one. Zero sympathized, and was more than ready to oblige her request.

"I'll be happy to train you," he continued.

"Really? Awesome! The old bastard won't know what hit him!" Ryuunosuke had difficulty curbing her aggressive enthusiasm at times.

"…but," he stipulated. Ryuunosuke quieted down.

"But?"

"Only on the condition… that you follow my dress code," he finally finished.

"Wh…what?!" Ryuunosuke knew exactly what he was getting at. It had to be a joke. He didn't really think she would ever train with him naked, did he? However, his face did not bear the same smirk he usually wore when not being serious… he instead wore a very flat expression. He was entirely serious. "Like hell!" she replied, launching yet another punch at him. Unfortunately for her, he caught it effortlessly, holding her fist firmly in place as she struggled to break free. There was just no comparison between the two of them.

After a moment of proving his point, Zero released her from his grip, allowing her to stumble backwards, almost losing her balance. If he could teach her to fight the way he did, her father wouldn't stand a chance. No one would. She would never have to take anything from anyone ever again. At last, all of her problems would truly be solved. But still, there was no way she could follow through with his request. It was just too insane. No way, not a chance. Unthinkable.

…and yet, not an hour later, there stood Ryuunosuke, completely bare before her master in the house's small dojo. Her desperation had won out in the end… but she was not at all happy with her circumstance, shyly (and angrily) covering herself with her arms, eyes closed in the naive hope that it would somehow prevent her from being seen. She didn't see Zero calmly trying to meet her gaze, she didn't see him waiting for her to take her stance, and she absolutely didn't see him when he made his move, quickly hurling her across the floor and bringing her down hard on her back.

 **THUD!**

"Ow! What the hell?!" shouted Ryuunosuke.

"Rule one: Focus," he stated, plainly. Ryuu was somehow not very inclined to pay attention to him right now, unfortunately opposite his intended lesson. "In order to meet your full potential, your mind can't be anywhere but on your opponent. You don't have the luxury of distractions like doubt or shame. It also helps to have your eyes open." This last remark was his most annoying.

"How the hell am I supposed to not be distracted when you have me fighting like this?!" she asked angrily. Clearly, her mental state was not nearly so serene as his.

"Why do you think I required it, Ryuunosuke?" he asked.

"Because you're a pervert."

That smirk again. "It's an exercise that will help you overcome your self-imposed limitations. Simply put, once you can fight me without worrying about distractions like embarrassment, you'll have the focus to fight anyone, in any situation, at your full potential."

"Right, THAT'S the reason you're making me do this," snapped Ryuunosuke, sarcastically. Yet another smirk.

"Well… maybe not the only reason." He was taunting her.

"Bastard!" She went on the offensive, temporarily forgetting her own exposure. Instead of his usual reversal, however, Zero began blocking her attacks without holding or redirecting them. Watching Ryuu's storm of punches being guarded as Zero gradually allowed himself to be pushed back was like watching a boxer sparring with his coach… in fact, it may have been exactly that.

"Good. You've pushed your shame aside in order to combat me. However…" Now came Zero's reversal. Before Ryuunosuke knew which way was up, he had again managed to hurl her across the room. "…it's no good if you're just replacing it with anger. An opponent fighting angry is an opponent fighting on impulse, and that makes their movements very predictable. This also ties into the lesson of focus—for the purposes of combat, feelings are but another distraction."

Ryuunosuke was too annoyed to take her master's words to heart. Rising to her feet again, she readied to continue her assault… but Zero knew better.

"That's enough for today."

"H…huh?" Ryuunosuke was dumbfounded.

"We're done. You can get dressed now if you like, today's lesson is over." He sounded so nonchalant about it.

"What? No way! We're not done here! I'm not through with you yet!"

Even with his back now turned, Ryuunosuke could tell when that damned smirk was on Zero's face. Turning back to her, he responded, "I'm always up for some sparring, but I don't think it will do you any good to continue any more, today."

Paying him no heed, Ryuu again launched an attack, and once again, Zero began his cycle of gently blocking each and every one of her blows without stopping or striking her back. He hoped that if he allowed her to exert herself for a little while, she might finally be satisfied for the day. Unfortunately, after 10 minutes of constant exertion, her spirit still had not broken… though her body was on the verge of collapsing.

" **Damn it!** " Ryuunosuke slammed her fist against the wall, panting in exhaustion.

Zero tried to sympathize, despite his own growing impatience. "What's wrong?"

" _I don't know!_ Whenever I fought my dad, or anyone else, even when I lost, I felt like I could have won… I could always try harder next time and come out on top," she started. "But with you…! **Agh!** " Another pound. "I'm just not good enough! How can I feel satisfied with this?!"

Zero thought for a moment. "We need a way to release that tension. Find a way for you to relax."

"Yeah? And what do you suggest, huh?" She was still mildly annoyed.

Zero had one idea, but Ryuunosuke was still far too prudent for that step. Instead, he introduced her to a different form of relaxation.

"A bath? What, you mean like at a sento?" Ryuunosuke asked, confused. The luxury of a home with a built-in bath was entirely foreign to her. In fact, she had never bathed in any kind of private environment at all. Upon being introduced to her own, however, she began to open up to the idea, and by the time Zero had left the room and she had entered the water, a sumo wrestler couldn't have removed her. It was nearly two hours before she finally stepped out of the room, significantly calmer than when she had entered.

Zero made a point to allow her her space for the rest of the evening, giving her some time to reflect upon what she had been taught that day… not intentionally, mind you. Ryuunosuke hadn't even been listening to Zero's words during their sparring. Still, her subconscious had somehow retained his lessons, and now offered her conscious self no quarter from these thoughts. As she eventually found herself drifting off to sleep, she couldn't help but think about how much more peaceful her life was becoming, and how serene she now felt. Maybe she could use this to her advantage.


	5. Chapter 4

The following day, Ryuunosuke felt refreshed… though she again wore her regular boy's uniform to school. Zero had been gracious enough to provide her a new girl's one, but she knew it would only attract her father's attention, and she didn't quite feel ready to face him yet. Besides, she realized that wearing her old uniform wouldn't ruin her day nearly so much as encountering the old man would. For what may have been the first time in her life, she was actively trying to avoid a confrontation with him. It was very unusual for her. But, she hoped, in any case, that it would be a successful endeavor.

Fortunately, things seemed to work out. Either because she was wearing the boy's uniform or just because she happened to get lucky that day, Ryuunosuke managed to avoid her father (if not the rest of her class's usual shenanigans). By the time she had gotten home, she felt confident, determined. Without a moment's hesitation, she immediately sought out Zero for another round of training. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she had had plenty of time to reflect on his teachings from yesterday, and was more than ready to put them into practice. It was encouraging to see.

Expecting the usual conditions, Ryuunosuke reluctantly began disrobing… but to her surprise, Zero stopped her.

"I want you to fight me clothed, first," he told her. Happy to oblige, Ryuunosuke wasted no time taking her stance. This time, she spared a moment to size up her opponent before wildly lunging at him—a sign of improvement. When she did strike, it was more precise than she had been previously, and certainly more focused. She wasn't relying on her anger to fuel her anymore, and was instead powered only by her own spirit and determination. It looked like things were progressing very well. Even if she still couldn't land a hit on Zero, there was definitely progress being made, something he was sure to congratulate her for.

Of course, what inevitably followed was the nude session. Having some time to prepare made this part a little easier for Ryuunosuke… but she was still proud as a bull, and resisted being humiliated as she was (or at least, as she felt). This was, of course, reflected in her fighting, as Zero was able to read her pattern at a glance.

She was, at first, withholding herself, refraining from completing her regular fighting motions so as to try to retain some of her cover. When this failed her, she gradually adapted not by overcoming her shame, but by masking it with anger, her attacks increasing in ferocity and frustration. When this yielded poor results, it, in turn, caused even more anger. Before long, Zero had to ask her to stop and calm herself.

Ryuunosuke, of course, still didn't much care for being told what to do… but recognizing how his teachings had helped her, she took a moment to close her eyes and try to relax, as Zero released her blocked fists from his grip. After a second or two, she was able to think more clearly, but her body was still reacting in ways she didn't want it to; she was simply too riled up. It was then that Zero decided he might try a different approach.

"Don't be startled by what I'm about to do," he told her. The fact that he didn't tell her what he was about to do worried Ryuunosuke, but… she was willing to trust him. At least, for now. Zero slowly approached her, then reached out his hand, moving towards her chest… when his palm made contact, she flinched, and jumped back a little instinctively, causing him to freeze while she regained her composure.

"Relax. I'm just going to feel your heart."

Ryuunosuke calmed down a bit and allowed him to continue, his hand on her chest just between her breasts. It was the most intimate touch she'd ever known, though she never would have admitted as much to Zero. He could feel her heart beating quickly, erratically. Her face appeared calm, but obviously this was not a reflection of her subconscious.

"Feel mine," he told her. Though she still didn't quite understand what he was trying to do, Ryuu slowly and shyly placed her hand on Zero's deeply scarred chest. It took her a moment to feel anything at all—his heartbeat was so faint, so calm, so controlled. It almost felt as if it wasn't beating at all… but every now and again, a gentle pulse would disprove that theory.

"Now…" he began, "try to match yours to mine."

"What? I can't do that."

"Trust me, and try," he replied. Still, Ryuunosuke was doubtful… but once again closing her eyes, she focused her senses only on what she felt with her hand. That gentle pulsation, beating so smoothly, so calmly, like clockwork… she imagined how it must feel to him, being so serene. At this point, it was something she was genuinely curious about. She wanted to feel it. Without any awareness of it, she slowly started inching closer to Zero, his heartbeat becoming just a little bit easier to sense with each centimeter. By the time she felt him move, she nearly had her forehead to his chest. What woke her was the sensation of his removing his own hand from her chest; she opened her eyes.

"Now, feel yours," he told her.

Obediently, Ryuunosuke placed her hand on her own chest. She was surprised at what she felt… or rather, what she didn't. Her heartbeat was nearly as calm and gentle as his had been. Had he done something to her? Or did she really do this on her own?

"I want you to remember how you feel right now," he told her. "This is the kind of peace of mind I want you to try and maintain while fighting. And… you know, it's not bad to have it the rest of the time, either."

The next day, Wednesday, Ryuunosuke again requested a training session immediately after school. She would never admit it, but she was starting to enjoy her time sparring with Zero. By now, she did it more for this reason than she did to the end of beating her father… not that that goal didn't still exist within her, anytime she was reminded of the obstacle the old man presented. Now, she was able to address such problems much more efficiently, however, maintaining a level head.

Again, she had a slightly easier time disrobing than she did the day before. It was very slowly becoming more natural for her, at least while alone in the dojo with Zero.

"I think it's time we moved on to the second rule of combat," he told her. "Today, I'm going to be the one attacking you, and you will be defending."

"Why's that?" she asked, curiously.

"Contrary to popular belief, martial arts don't exist for use by the strong. Quite the opposite, in fact. They were originally conceived as a means for weaker persons to stand up to others more powerful than they," Zero explained. "While there are some exceptions, most martial arts aren't about applying brute force. Rather, they're about redirecting your opponent's force in your favor."

"You mean like all those reversals of yours?"

"Exactly. There are, of course, other means of redirecting force than simply using throws, but those are one example," he finished. "Now… I'm going to attack you on instinct, without thinking about my movements. It'll be much like fighting an angry opponent. I want you to try to predict my movements, understand where force is being directed, and use that to your advantage."

"Wait, wait… how am I s'posed to-"

Before Ryuunosuke could even finish, Zero had started his "angry" onslaught, attacking his opponent in a haphazard frenzy that was very much unlike his usual, precise style. It was all Ryuunosuke could do to dodge his oncoming attacks; she certainly didn't have time to analyze them and come up with a counterattack in the time between one strike and the next. It just wasn't possible. Eventually, one of her dodges inevitably failed, and Zero landed a hit square in her chest, sending her to the floor. He then paused to give her a chance to recover as she gradually regained her breath.

"What the hell, man? How'm I s'posed to figure out how you're gonna attack when you do it so fast?" She was mildly annoyed at his zealous behavior.

"You'll have to teach yourself to think and fight. Anticipate your opponent's next attack by how his or her body moves," he told her. Saying it didn't make it any easier to do, though… her frustration was apparent to Zero. "Maybe… an example. You're familiar with the concept of a center of gravity, correct?"

She looked at him, confused. He had his answer.

"It's the point at which the body weight is focused. Say, if you were in a weightless environment, and spun around…" He demonstrated as he spoke by levitating and then rotating his own body in a cartwheel-like fashion, in an unorthodox display of the concept that only he would be capable of. "The center of gravity is the point around which you would rotate." He pointed to his abdomen in demonstration. "In most humans, it's in the abdominal region, just above the hips." To further illustrate his point, he stepped over (now firmly on the ground) and placed his hands on Ryuunosuke's bare hips. She immediately backed away.

"Hey, man, hands off!"

"No need to get worked up. I just wanted to give you a feel for where this center of weight is," he defended.

"Yeah, you wanted to give me a feel, all right… hmph." Obviously she still didn't completely trust her queer teacher.

"You're going to have a very hard time of it if you don't have a good grasp of this," he warned.

"I get it, okay? Let's move on!"

"All right then," replied Zero. "In that case, a demonstration won't be an issue."

"…eh?"

"I'm going to come at you, slowly, as if I were launching an overhand punch. I want you to find a way to turn the attack against me."

"Uh… sure," she replied. There was a distinct lack of confidence in her voice; but, he would humor her. True to his word, he made a very slow motion simulating a wide punch, giving Ryuunosuke plenty of time to contemplate. Panicking, she used it to take his arm, bend it at the elbow, and push his punch back into his face… not forcibly enough to deal any damage, of course, but she felt sure she had satisfied her master's request.

Zero could read the pride on her face. "You seem proud of yourself. Why don't you try that move at fighting speed?"

"Tch. Sure!" She was arrogant. After a moment, Zero made the same motion, this time as a full-speed punch, and again, Ryuunosuke attempted to catch his arm and bend it back; this time, however, it slipped right out of her grip, deflecting the fist, but causing Zero's shoulder to hit her torso at full force. Clearly her solution had failed. She now knew that as well as he.

"I think you need a better understanding of momentum and redirecting force. As you just saw, bending an opponent's arm doesn't change the momentum of the attack." He looked down at his pupil, compassionately. "Let me show you. Please?" He wanted to break down the barriers she had around herself, make her feel more comfortable around him… there was still a long road ahead. Maybe, hopefully, this had been a step in the right direction.

Ryuunosuke didn't want to swallow her pride, but she had been humiliated quite enough to see that she may not understand all that she thought she did. Reservations aside, she agreed to be more open with him… and thus, Zero began his demonstration of momentum. He illustrated to her once again, using his own overhead punch, how the arcing motion wound up moving again towards the ground, and how the downward-forward momentum could be used by an opponent to roll such an attacker off their footing and right onto their back. He managed to convince her to perform such a reversal on him once in order to better understand the prior "center of gravity" concept. It was still very strange to her, grappling with a naked man.

Next, he used the example of a roundhouse kick, another easily-analyzed movement. This time, he used Ryuunosuke's body to demonstrate the attacking motion. Slowly raising her left leg with one arm, he spoke:

"In this instance, think of your body like a top, balancing on your one grounded leg." He moved her raised leg around as Ryuunosuke blushed deeply. Looking down, she was spread completely open. "He'd better not look down, for his sake," she thought to herself, irritated. As he continued to demonstrate the motion, however, her fears seemed to dissipate. He really was only doing just that; demonstrating a motion. When all was said and done, Ryuunosuke felt like she had a better understanding of redirecting force, something which Zero was very happy to hear.

"Man, though…" she started, "I'm sore all over."

"You put in a lot of effort today. I'm glad," he told her, warmly. She was more concerned with the intermittent beatings she had taken.

"You got something you can recommend other than the bath thing?" she asked, hoping there was some other mystical luxury she'd been missing out on. She wasn't wrong, but… Zero still hesitated to suggest it to her, and for once, it was she who was able to read the uncertainty on _his_ face. "You know somethin'," she stated, accusatorily.

"Well…" he began, "I do have something in mind, but I don't know that you'd be comfortable with it."

"I can take it. What've you got?" she asked.

"I could… give you a massage," he suggested. She once again looked at him curiously.

"A massage is-"

"I know what a massage is!" she interrupted him, angrily. "Don'tcha have to be a doctor for that, though?"

"I believe you're thinking of bonesetting," he said. "Though, a massage can be very relaxing… if you don't mind being touched."

"Touched where?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. He assured her it would only be her back, shoulders, etc. Innocent locations.

"I'm quite good at it," he insisted. True, Ryuunosuke was not without her doubts… but after opening herself to the training session they had had earlier, she felt like the two of them were perhaps close enough for this. Besides, it wasn't as if he was asking her to massage _him_. She was on the receiving end. Why should she be complaining? Provided Zero didn't get any funny ideas, of course. Though, while she would never admit it, there had been a certain intimacy to their earlier session, particularly when he was moving her body in demonstration…

No! None of those thoughts! Ryuunosuke shook them from her head, but accepted her master's offer, warily. She determined not to let her guard down in case things got out of hand.

"Lie on your stomach," Zero told her, motioning for her bed. The two had migrated to Ryuunosuke's room (which she still had not put any time into personalizing), and Ryuunosuke, though still guarded, obliged. Both were still in their birthday suits, which had her slightly on edge, something which was apparent to Zero. As she lay in anxiety, he tried to reassure her, gently placing his hand still on her back: "I know you're not very comfortable, being touched by others… but if you're willing to trust me and let go, this will be much more relaxing."

"Hmph." Ryuunosuke couldn't be bothered with a full response, lying as she was. Zero could only hope that his words got through. As he ran his hands gently up and down between her shoulder blades, he could feel the tension in her muscles. It was almost as if she were determined not to allow herself to relax, in defiance of him. As if doing so would be considered a defeat to her, or something. It was all Zero could do to make his motions as gentle and nonthreatening as possible.

His fingers ran delicately along her blades, moving up and kneading her shoulders only slightly, so as not to startle her. Her breathing had started to slow down a bit, and her shoulders were no longer arched. She hadn't quite submitted completely yet, but she was no longer putting up an active resistance. She felt the strange sensation of someone else's hands pressed lovingly to her body, motioning up and down her back… it was a comforting, nostalgic feeling. Familiar, even… maybe, a long, long time ago, when she was still just a small child who hardly knew anything of genders, her father had done this for her. Maybe even her mother…

Zero picked up on the change in Ryuunosuke's aura. It was serene, but melancholy… he noticed, on the narrow portion of her face visible to him, a small tear forming in the corner of her eye. Zero considered if perhaps he should stop, but ultimately decided that it would be cruel to awaken her from this reverie. And so, he continued his gentle motions, working down her back and sides, hands stroking her surprisingly delicate skin as if running across rice paper. He didn't need to use a lot of force. It was enough for Ryuunosuke to feel the touch of another human being so close to her, and to welcome it for the first time in such a very long time. Seeing her like this, it made Zero happy, as well.


	6. Chapter 5 (Special Zero Chapter)

Zero returned to Ryuunosuke's world from his own at his usual time—early in the morning, shortly before Ryuunosuke herself woke up for classes. Until such time, he occupied himself lifting various furniture around the house, trying to make a game out of his own training. Ryuunosuke stepped out of her room just as he was about to attempt the sofa… but there was something surprising about her this morning.

"Hm? Do you have today off?"

"No. Why?" she asked him, standing naked in the hallway. She followed his eyes downward and answered defiantly, "Yeah, well, I figured if you didn't have to wear clothes around the house, neither do I."

It wasn't immediately obvious whether she was trying to rebel simply for the sake of it or if she actually _wanted_ Zero to see her as a show of affection, but it was cute in either case.

"I don't mind, but do you plan on going to school like that?" he asked her. She looked down once again.

"…crap. You're right." Not as strongly affected as one might have guessed she would be. Ryuunosuke shuffled back into her room to put on her uniform—the boy's uniform, again. She didn't want to risk her fresh new sailor suit until she was certain her father wouldn't stand a chance against her.

"You know," Zero started speaking through her door, "if you _did_ go to school like that… there's nothing your father could do about your 'femininity,' is there?"

"Dumbass!" Ryuu broke out of her room, having just finished dressing. "What kind of girl would go to school naked? There's nothing feminine about that." She started past him.

"I don't know, I used to know one. She got used to it. Even started to enjoy it, after a while."

"Moron…"

SLAM!

Ryuunosuke's words were harsh, but Zero knew it was just her own insecurities talking. She'd gone straight for the front door, thinking it would have more impact if she didn't stick around after delivering her insults. Her pride was nothing to shake a stick at. He knew she was going to regret it later, though, walking out on breakfast… maybe he could do something nice for her, he thought. Perhaps he could leave a breakfast waiting for her on her desk, for when she arrived at school. But… no, no, then Moroboshi would just scarf it down before Ryuunosuke ever saw hide or hair of it, which would inevitably result in a beating. Amusing as that sounded, it wasn't what was best for Ryuunosuke.

Perhaps he could bribe or even hypnotize a merchant into calling her over for a free noodle dish on her way to school. But… then she might get suspicious about receiving such an offer, and it might even make her late if she stopped to eat on her way. Besides, Zero hadn't done much exploring, and wasn't familiar with any noodle stands in the area. Maybe… hmm…

"Heh," Zero chuckled to himself. "All my power, and I can't even come up with a way to feed my pupil." Maybe he should just transport the food directly to her stomach. He was pretty sure he could do that. Ah, but that wasn't theatrical enough. Not the trademark Zero style at all. After a little bit more thought and a brief spot of cooking, his plan of action was decided, and Zero was off to the school… in person.

He flew high, high up in the sky; high enough that those down below wouldn't be able to make him out, so as to make things at least somewhat easier for poor Ryuunosuke. He was quite confident that he was past detection when he heard a shrill voice from below.

"Heeey! Wait up! What are you doing up there?"

Curious, Zero looked down. Far below him was an infant in a tiger-striped diaper, floating slowly through the air in a fierce struggle to reach Zero's altitude. Recognizing the child, Zero thought it better to speed off than risk a confrontation, and in a flash, he was well beyond his pursuer's reach. It was a close encounter—Zero was used to ruling the skies, and had forgotten that this universe had its own airborne denizens. How fortunate for him that the speedier ones were all in school at the moment.

Upon arriving at his destination, Zero discreetly lowered himself to Ryuunosuke's classroom window, hovering just outside with only waist-up visible until he caught her attention. The students closest to the window noticed him long before she, however, and it wasn't long before the whole class had gathered by it to get a closer look, ignoring their poor old teacher, Mr. Onsen. The girls were especially interested, most of them blushing.

"He's… gorgeous!" Shinobu swooned.

"And nuh- nuh- nuh- naked…?" Mendou was aghast.

"…and huge."

Everyone stared at Lum after her awkward comment.

"What?" she asked.

"Who is this one and why is he here?!" Ataru interrogated Lum, assuming that anyone able to fly must be a friend of hers (with valid precedent, of course).

"How should I know?" She was offended by the assumption.

"Well, **I'd** like to know!" Onsen, tired of such shenanigans interrupting his class on a daily basis, forced his way to the front to address the stranger directly. Zero didn't seem at all bothered by the attention; Ryuunosuke felt as if she could die. "I demand you tell me why you're here disrupting my class!"

Of course, Zero being Zero, this conversation was well planned for. "I apologize for the interruption. Here." He handed the confused Onsen a small coupon. "Treat yourself to some sushi on your way home tonight, on me."

"Uh… thanks?" The normally-strict fellow had no idea how to respond. Thus, Zero was allowed to continue.

"I'm just here because one of your students forgot her breakfast this morning… and her lunch." He held up a pair of small bento boxes in demonstration, and Ryuunosuke, not willing to sit through another minute of this, stepped up to the window and grabbed the boxes from him rather forcefully.

"All right, all right, already! Now get out of here, will ya'?"

Zero shrugged, as he often did when faced with her aggressive behavior. He knew she had appreciated the gesture, even if she was too embarrassed to show it in front of everyone. His business finished, Zero had no more reason to stay, and promptly dismissed himself, dropping suddenly out of view and into a waiting portal below. The students would no doubt be mystified by his seemingly-magical disappearance, he thought. One has to make his own fun in life.

Now back at the house, Zero spent the rest of his day training and occupying himself with various hobbies… with a brief interruption by another god's assault, resulting in a cataclysmic display of power in the skies over Tomobiki which threatened to destroy the very fabric of existence. But no one wants to hear about that. Perhaps the most interesting part of Zero's day was when Ryuunosuke returned at the end of it.

"Zero!"

"Hm?" He turned to her in response.

"Do you know how much explaining I had to do to get the rest of the class to shut up about you? They never let up once!" she exclaimed.

"Oh? What did they have to say about me?" Zero was quite happy to have left such a distinct impression; Ryuunosuke was not happy that Zero was happy. Somehow Zero expected as much.

"'Is he your boyfriend?' and 'Are you two really living together?' and 'How long has this been going on?' and… and every other question they could ask! Jeez…" Ryuunosuke tried to imitate her classmates as she quoted them, with mixed success.

"What did you tell them?" asked Zero, now more curious than ever. Ryuunosuke clammed up.

"Well, I, uh- I mean…" she blushed briefly before returning to angry mode. "I told 'em you were just a friend I was crashing with to get away from the old man, is all!"

"Sounds about right," he replied, not bothered by her mood shift. Contrary to his intention, his comment, in turn, caused yet another.

"I- …yeah." For some reason Ryuunosuke had been expecting some kind of argument. She wondered why that was, as Zero began to put his (training) equipment away.

"How was lunch?"

"It was…" she paused, still not pleased with Zero. It was easy to tell that she was speaking out of spite. "…all right. I guess." Her pout was cute, he thought to himself. As Zero continued cleaning up, Ryuunosuke began to realize how silly she was acting. It was like when her father had accidentally eaten a pastry she had hidden when she was a child. He probably still would have eaten it if he'd known it was hers, but the point was that he didn't know, and she'd given him the cold shoulder for nearly a week over it. He didn't seem to pay it much mind. Not that Zero did, but… Zero was different. Ryuunosuke's father just plain didn't care, but Zero… he truly wanted what was best for her. And for all the grief she gave him, he never seemed to be bothered by it, and he certainly never gave her any back.

Suddenly feeling a bit sympathetic, Ryuunosuke asked Zero a question of her own: "So… how was… your day?" She hesitated to get the words out.

Zero's ears perked in mild surprise that she had asked him. "My day? It wasn't anything too special."

By the time he had finished recounting, Ryuunosuke couldn't help but laugh.

"Bahaha… you almost let yourself get caught by Jariten?"

"Almost," he emphasized. "I noticed him before he got too close, though."

"Guess your instincts aren't that great after all," she teased.

"Is that a challenge?"

"The usual, huh?" she asked, already preparing to disrobe.

"Absolutely." He was more eager than she.

A short sparring session later, the two decided to take a break. Zero was impressed with how much Ryuunosuke had improved of late, a compliment which gave her a great deal of encouragement. As Zero stretched his limbs out a bit, Ryuunosuke proposed something he was certainly not expecting:

"Hey, do you want me to give _you_ a massage?"

"Hm?" Zero turned to her in surprise. "Oh, that's all right, you don't have to."

"C'mon, lay down, no arguin'," she insisted. Zero complied, so as not to appear stubborn. Ryuunosuke started moving her hands rather forcefully, hoping to herself that she was doing a good job. She thought, maybe, if her father had been more compassionate, she and he could have had a relationship like this. Zero wasn't quite a father to her, but she wanted to show him some kind of appreciation, and this seemed like the only way she knew how. Though her motions were a bit rough, Zero enjoyed the sentiment—it was very sweet of Ryuunosuke to make him such an offer, and when her task was done, Zero turned the offer right back on her, himself insistent. As he, in turn, proceeded to massage her, he spoke:

"You've gotten so relaxed around me. I'm glad."

"Huh?" Ryuunosuke was the type of person who wasn't in the mood to talk much when she was as comfortable as this.

"It's only healthy to be able to let your guard down every once in a while. No one can keep it up forever."

She thought about his words for a moment, her expression turning somewhat somber in reflection.

"Hey…" she started. "You said something… about a girl you knew… right? Who was some kinda nudist, like you?"

Zero considered his next words carefully. "I did. Are you curious?"

"No!" Ryuunosuke was quick to respond. "I mean, I- it's just…" Zero moved his visage down closer to Ryuunosuke's to better hear her. She seemed to be having trouble continuing. "What you said this morning, and… the way everyone reacted to you later in the day… they were all so… I don't know… impressed. Like they respected you for it."

"You find that strange?" he asked her.

"Well, yeah, I mean, people are supposed to react badly to that kind of thing. Usually when a guy is naked outside it means he's some sorta pervert or something."

"That's me," Zero exclaimed shamelessly.

"What? No, you're not like that! What's wrong with you?!"

Zero sighed for a moment, pausing his movements to address her appropriately. His hand now lay idle on her lower back.

"Have you ever stopped to realize that, at one point, every single human being on the planet was wrong about the earth being flat?"

"What?"

"Just prattling, I suppose." He contemplated. "Humans are a flawed species. They make mistakes… not just individually, but collectively. Indoctrination is a terrible thing." Ryuunosuke turned her head up towards him, trying to grasp his words. "It is a disease of ignorance, and of apathy. Which do you suppose is worse?"

"…I don't know and I don't care," Ryuunosuke scoffed. Obviously she was being coy, to Zero's amusement.

"Mankind still suffers from this disease. Humans prefer trust to thought. It's easier to believe what you've been told is the truth than it is to divine the truth yourself. So enters Man's naive concept of shame."

"What are you talking about?" Ryuunosuke's curiosity had been piqued, but she was thoroughly lost. Zero tenderly moved his hand up her back, stimulating it gently until it reached the nape of her neck, then rested his forearm upon her.

"Tell me. How do you feel right now? Don't think about it, just describe it."

"Huh? I guess… warm. Comfortable," she said. "Like I'm totally secure."

"I'll tell you something," he replied to her, leaning a bit closer. "I feel exactly the same. It's nice, being together with you like this. Intimacy is a wonderful thing."

Ryuunosuke got goosebumps at the mention of the word "intimacy." It was as if it triggered some kind of repulsion, some inherent negative reaction within her… maybe this was just the way she had grown up thinking, afraid of sensitivity. She didn't pay the brief sensation much mind, but instead wondered why she might have had it in the first place. It was strange to stop and think about things like this. As she did so, Zero continued, unabated.

"Now imagine feeling like this all the time." Ryuunosuke's attention returned to his speech. "Imagine a world where nothing was hidden. No one felt the need to feel ashamed or self-conscious. No masks were worn, no hidden agendas… honesty in its purest form."

Ryuunosuke contemplated his words as he continued.

"Most people don't see the connection between truth and passion. A god like me seems like a living contradiction. But you know, every human seeks passion, even if it's not something they'll admit. To be passionate is to be true to oneself."

It took a moment of silence for his words to absorb at all. "So what you're saying…" Ryuu started, "…is that a naked world is a beautiful world. A world where nothing's hidden?"

Zero let out a very quiet "heh," which was enough to worry Ryuunosuke that he was judging her.

"What?!" she asked, abrasively.

"Nothing, you're absolutely right. It's just that… well, I've never heard you use that word before," he said.

"What word? 'Naked?' …'Beautiful?'"

"It suits you."

Ryuunosuke suddenly became withdrawn, almost as if insulted. A forlorn air swiftly enveloped her, her face awash with melancholy.

"No, it doesn't."

"Why would you think that?" Zero asked.

"There's nothing feminine about me. Most of the time I get mistaken for a guy. No way would anyone call me 'beautiful.'" Her self-esteem issues were once again resurfacing.

Pausing for a moment once again, Zero weighed his options. After some contemplation, he motioned Ryuunosuke to stand up. "Come with me." Bringing her to the front of a large mirror, Zero continued: "What do you see?"

She looked ahead of her. Ryuunosuke saw her own nude, full-body reflection, with Zero standing immediately behind her, and suddenly felt very self-conscious. It was easy for her to forget she was naked with him when she didn't have to look at herself. But what was he trying to accomplish with this tired old exercise?

"Obviously it's the two of us," she scoffed.

"And?"

"And we're both naked. Together. Which is really awkward." She was starting to get annoyed with his pressing her, and closed her eyes in protest. She wasn't in much of a mood to wax philosophical.

"So, there's no difference between us, then?"

"Of course there's a difference! You're a guy and I'm a girl!" She turned to him, fed up with this lesson of his, but did not expect to see what her eyes beheld upon opening them.

"And now?" He… or, well, _she_ , asked. Standing in front of her… it was clearly still Zero, but he was now a woman. He… **she** still had his scar, his eyes, his long, black hair… but all his previous equipment was gone. His voice was higher, his physique different, and his chest… plentiful. This was no illusion.

"What… how…?!" Ryuunosuke was aghast.

"Are we still different?" the female Zero asked calmly.

"Well, yeah! I can't do that! How the hell did you?!"

"I'm a god. You're better off just assuming that I can do anything."

Once Ryuunosuke's shock had subsided, she was able to more clearly grasp what Zero was trying to show her.

"It's not our sex that defines us. I'm the same person I was just a moment ago… and you and I? We're still two different people, male or female. The truth is, it just doesn't matter."

Ryuu didn't know how to respond to this. It seemed to contradict everything she thought she knew about the world. Omniscient or not, Zero couldn't be right about this. Before poor Ryuunosuke could come up with a proper response of her own, Zero had vanished, as he typically did in such critical moments as this. She had been left alone… and perhaps, right now, that was what she needed.

Ryuunosuke took one more look at herself in the mirror, now alone, and examined what she saw. Maybe… perhaps she could learn to see herself as beautiful, in time.


	7. Chapter 6

Ryuunosuke found herself very distracted throughout her classes the following day. It was Friday, so of course, the class was already getting restless, anticipating the week's end… but Ryuunosuke's mind was elsewhere. Had Zero been right? Did sex really mean so little in the grand scheme of things? There was a clear line between how her male classmates behaved and how her female classmates behaved. Ataru and Shinobu were as different as night and day. So different, in fact, that it was almost impossible to believe that the two were once a couple. As this concept surfaced in Ryuu's mind, she couldn't help but remember her experience with Zero the previous night… the warmth of his palm on her back, and the secure feeling of complete acceptance that came with their shared nudity. Maybe… what if the whole world truly were like that? Is such a thing even possible?

Moreover, these feelings of hers… they weren't just familial. Even though it had been his functional role (despite being around the same age as Ryuunosuke), she didn't see Zero as an adoptive father to her. He was somehow more than that. But… what?

"…unosuke? Ryuunosuke?"

Ryuu snapped out of her dreamscape to hear Shinobu's voice.

"Huh? What?"

"Something wrong, Ryuunosuke? You're acting different today," stated Shinobu.

"Nah, it's nothin'," Ryuu insisted. "I'm just thinkin' about some stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Don't worry about it, I don't wanna trouble you," Ryuunosuke replied.

"It's no trouble at all. Come on, tell me about it," Shinobu insisted. She had an interest in gossip, but Ryuu knew that she was also genuinely concerned about her as a friend.

"Well… there's this guy…"

"A guy?!" Shinobu nearly shouted, stifling herself only just quickly enough to avoid gathering the attention of everyone in the class. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is it the one from yesterday? The guy with the scar?"

"I, uh, I mean…" Ryuu hesitated to admit it. It felt like a confession somehow, just stating that she was associated with him. "…yeah," she finally conceded.

"I think you two would be cute together," she said in oblivious encouragement. "I think it's good you've found someone, even if he's some weird nudist alien guy. I mean, I always thought maybe you were interested in, y'know…"

"Hm?" Ryuunosuke leaned in suspiciously, anxious to hear what Shinobu was about to say. This was one very rare occasion where Ryuunosuke very much resembled her paranoid father. "In what?"

"Ehhh…" Shinobu clammed up, not really wanting to continue. Ryuunosuke's glare forced her to keep going, though. "Well… girls."

"No way!" shouted Ryuunosuke. "What do you think I am, some kind of pervert?!"

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean anything by it!" Shinobu hastily apologized with a half-hearted smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Ryuunosuke sighed. "Look, there's nothin' between us, all right? He's just… this guy who's lettin' me crash with him for a while, that's all."

"Eh? You're **living** together?!" Shinobu sounded shocked.

"Well… yeah."

"Is he… always like that?" Shinobu leaned in close, trying to keep their conversation quiet, but oblivious to how obvious she was making her secrecy to everyone around her.

"Like what?" Ryuunosuke asked.

"You know… naked. In his spaceship."

"Spaceship? What the hell are you talking about?"

"He doesn't live in a spaceship, like Lum?"

"What? No! He's from Earth! He's got this house uptown, and-"

"…from Earth? Seriously?"

"Yeah, I mean, I think so."

"So…" Shinobu paused, thinking to herself for a moment. "He's just a plain old nudist, then."

"You're taking this weirdly well," remarked Ryuunosuke, snidely.

"We have a half-naked alien princess in our class."

"Yeah, you got a point there."

The two girls continued to discuss Ryuunosuke's housing situation and her relationship with Zero, but every time the latter would come up in conversation, Ryuu felt a twinge of doubt in each answer she would give. "He's just a friend," or "We just live together," or even something cheesy like "He's like a guardian angel"… none of these seemed to quite describe how she felt about him inside. More and more, she was starting to see that, but still resisted the idea of ever admitting it to anyone. She realized that she was at an impasse with herself.

Ryuunosuke arrived home from school that day with a tense expression on her face. Zero recognized this just as soon as she walked through the door—she clearly had something she wanted to say, but was unwilling or unable to spit the words out. Still, he did not want to prod her, for fear of driving her away… and before she could muster the courage, she hurried past, closing her bedroom door behind her. Zero was disappointed, but resumed his task in solitude.

Hours passed, and still Ryuunosuke did not emerge. Strange… usually she approached him for a training session by this point in the day. The evening would arrive soon. Zero wasn't too worried about Ryuunosuke—she could take care of herself. Still, wanting to be sure she was feeling all right, he gave her door a knock. Just as he did so, however, it opened, as if she had been just about to come out when his knuckle struck the wood. She was fully undressed, and surprised to see Zero standing there on the opposite side of the door frame—apparently she had been planning to come out on her own right around the same time. Caught off guard, Ryuunosuke stuttered, trying to defend herself.

"I…I was just going to ask for… a training session! That's, that's why I'm dressed like this! I mean… not dressed! I mean…"

Zero reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder gently to calm her.

"We've still got some hours in the day. I'll be happy to spar with you," he replied. The two began on their way to the home's small dojo, and on their way, Ryuu began to speak:

"If… if there're any techniques you've been keeping from me because you thought I'd get angry at being touched or anything… I… I think I'm ready, I mean, I want to learn them, if that's okay."

Odd. Ryuunosuke was asking for physical contact. At this point it was well clear to Zero what state of mind she was in, and what she was trying to accomplish… in fact, he was quite glad when he realized it. Still, he held some hope that she would be able to progress the situation herself, and for now, simply obliged her.

"I'm afraid I don't have any techniques like that… not for fighting, anyway," he responded. "Everything I have to share, I have shared openly." Ryuunosuke looked very slightly disappointed. She was clearly trying to hide it, though. "I suppose…" Zero continued, "we could try some grappling today."

"What, like judo?"

"It's not really my specialty, given that it relies so heavily on physical strength, but it might be useful to practice."

Thus, the two began a session of close-quarters combat practice, with an emphasis on holds. For the first time, Ryuunosuke felt as if she didn't have a disadvantage, as Zero was himself inexperienced in this style of combat… and truth be told, in terms of raw physical strength, Ryuunosuke may have had a slight edge on the divine being. For the first time, they fought not as master and pupil, but as equals… and for that reason, this experience was, in some small way, a special one to her, and to him as well. When all was said and done, both felt as if they had learned much from the short session.

"So, how do you feel?" Zero inquired, his breath heavy.

"Pretty good… I had you on the ropes for a while there," Ryuu replied, more confident than ever. She began to inch away.

"Off for a bath?" he asked.

"Y…yeah." There was some hesitation in Ryuunosuke's answer, as she nervously considered whether she should say what she was now thinking. "Listen… if you want to, you can… uh…" She decided it was easier to simply get it over with rather than thinking about it. "…j…join me…" She avoided eye contact with him. She was sure he must be thinking about what a pervert she was right now. "I mean, y'know, I could wash your back, and you could… I mean… it'd be easier, and-"

By this point, Zero had calmly stood up and began to approach Ryuunosuke, herself occupied with nervous ramblings. In an effort to ease her nerves, he replied: "I'd be happy to."

Ryuunosuke blushed in surprise, hiding her face from Zero. She hadn't at all expected him to actually take her up on the offer. Maybe she hadn't thought things through as well as she'd imagined… maybe this wasn't such a great idea. What was she going to do? But she was committed now. She had to oblige him, for better or for worse… maybe it would be better if she laughed it off as a joke, tried to talk her way out of it. But did she want to?

Before she could spend much more time considering her options, Zero had placed his hand on her shoulder and begun walking towards the bathroom. Her body moved with his almost involuntarily; it was so automatic, she didn't even realize she was moving until she was at the bathroom door. Herself frozen in place, Zero entered first and started running some cold water. Ryuunosuke snapped to.

"…eh? Aren't you going to heat the water?"

"No sense wasting gas," he said. She hoped he wasn't intending for the two of them to take a cold bath… although, at this point, maybe it would be for the best. By the time the water had finished, he hadn't turned the temperature dial once—the whole tub was ice cold. Unfazed, however, Zero placed his hand in the water, himself seated on the rim.

"How warm would you like it?"

"…huh?"

Confused, Ryuunosuke dipped her hand in the water. It was lukewarm.

"How did you…?"

She stopped herself, realizing how silly it was to question Zero's strange abilities after spending so much time with him. The water began to heat up, further and further; the heat seemed to be coming from Zero's hand. She motioned him to stop when the temperature was about right. Ever the gentleman, he then stood up and motioned her to enter. Ryuunosuke had other plans.

"You… get in first," she hesitantly requested. Zero shrugged and obliged. He was then followed by a still-trepid Ryuunosuke, who warily stepped into the water and reclined in front of him. It felt exactly as she had expected it would. This was the feeling she had so long sought after… the "femininity" that had forever been beyond her grasp. But… what was it, exactly, that made this moment so, she wondered? Was it… submission? Vulnerability?

Suddenly, it hit her. This was the first time she had been together with a man whom she respected as being truly stronger than her. She finally had what she envisioned to be the proper relationship between man and woman; she had someone to protect her. She could finally act like someone to be protected. Was that really her concept of womanhood, though? Certainly, this was a strange place for such reflections, but in that brief moment, Ryuunosuke had begun to question everything she had been working towards. It was pleasant, this brief reprieve in a man's embrace… but it wasn't Ryuunosuke. The thought of spending her entire life as a submissive… a dependent, relying on another? Maybe there were some women like that, but she couldn't bear the thought of such a life. Had she really not understood the full implications of what she had been seeking until now, when she had finally gotten a taste of it? A taste of being "the weaker sex?"

Her mind was now abuzz, distracted by these queer thoughts… and it showed. If there was one thing Zero was not, it was oblivious, as he calmly made an attempt to ease her troubled mind:

"This is nice."

"Hm?" Ryuunosuke snapped out of her daze.

"You've never let me… let anyone get this close to you before. It's nice that we can do something like this together, that's all."

His arms were around her waist, loosely embracing her in front of him. The tub was reasonably large, but still a tight fit for two people. It was true. If anyone else had so much as tried to touch her, she would have sent them sailing to the moon. Was this really all right? Being this close to someone? She could even feel his parts bulging involuntarily against her rear. How had she gotten into this situation? Why had she gone so far to invoke it?

Maybe she had been a little warped from her upbringing, she thought. Maybe she had been so desperate for a real, compassionate, loving father figure that she had somehow gotten that desire intertwined with her concept of having a lover… maybe there was never that much of a difference between them to begin with. She knew that she did not see Zero as a father, though… and yet she saw him as something greater than a lover. Whatever he was to her, he was important, and she wanted to show him that. She was glad to let him in.

"…Yeah." She finally replied to his comment warmly. He was right. It was nice. No matter how she tried to reason it out, the one thing she knew was that she was enjoying this moment, and that she would continue to do so, regardless of what her brain might do to try and prevent it. She relaxed further, slouching in Zero's embrace, reclining ever deeper in the warm reverie. As she reclined, Zero's hands remained in place, sliding up to the edge of her breasts. She didn't mind.

Without words, the two understood each other. Zero's hands began to move gently across her bosom, kneading ever so softly so as not to overwhelm Ryuunosuke, who, despite her relaxation, was still prone to reject this foreign experience if he were to try to take things too quickly. Thus, he took his time, easing into slightly stronger movements and eventually toying with her now-erect nipples. A voice inside of Ryuunosuke told her she should be fighting these sensations, that she should strike him for this behavior, beat him within an inch of his life… but, for the first time in her life, Ryuunosuke didn't listen; for the first time, she told that inner voice of hers to leave her alone. Sparring with Zero had taught her that, all too often, one's instincts were not to be trusted. Curious how such a lesson would carry over into a situation like this. And, for the life of her, she could think of no reason that the two of them shouldn't continue. And so, she relaxed, succumbing to his caresses.

Reclined between Zero's legs, Ryuunosuke could feel his muzzle press into her hair, as if kissing her head. It was a little bit awkward as an expression, but in their present position it was all he could do to bring their faces closer to one another. She allowed her head to sink into his chest, unintentionally reclining even further. By now she could feel something very firm pressing heatedly against her upper back. She knew what it was, but… she wanted to see it.

Without warning, Ryuunosuke sat up and turned around, making no effort to hide her interest in Zero's equipment, which was significantly larger than the last time she had seen it. Her eyes fell upon it, curiously, which Zero picked up on immediately.

"It's all right," he told her, reassuringly. Ryuu was embarrassed that he had noticed her eyeline, but took him up on his offer. It was the first time she had had any interest in a male, thanks in no small part to her image of the sex being largely destroyed by her father before. She grasped his shaft tightly—perhaps a little too tightly. She wasn't expecting it to feel so… spongey. She played and kneaded, experimented, tried to familiarize herself with this thing she had so long been mistaken by others to have, but never had any hands-on experience with. Ryuunosuke had led a very peculiar life.

In moments, it became rigid, causing Ryuunosuke a slight panic. "What is that? What does that mean? That's good, right?"

Zero stifled his amusement. He didn't want to laugh at the poor girl's ignorance. "It means it likes you," he told her. She looked at him, as if unsure of whether he was joking with her or not. He tried to mold his expression such that she would understand that he was mostly serious. Zero continued: "I wouldn't mind seeing yours."

Ryuunosuke immediately blushed awkwardly, as if a schoolboy caught misbehaving by his teacher. She looked down at the floor of the tub, inevitably spying her own special place in the process. She had attempted to shave it earlier in the week, as it seemed like the "womanly" thing to do, but it hadn't gone quite perfectly. Thankfully, the region had by now recovered, but… it didn't make her any less shy about it. With Ryuunosuke distracted, Zero inched closer to her, his manhood slipping into her line of sight and brushing against her groin in the water. Ryuunosuke had to muffle a reaction of surprise. She quickly raised her sights back up to Zero's face, now only inches from hers.

There was only one thing to do in this situation. She wanted to do it.

Finally giving in completely to her own eagerness and curiosity, Ryuunosuke's lips dashed towards her tutor's, and the two locked in such a way she had never before experienced, nor ever thought she would. It was incredible, the feeling of trust… of security, and intimacy. Finally being able to let her guard down felt like that great, sudden breath one takes upon breeching the water after very nearly drowning, or like that first step into the cool ocean after walking barefoot across a mile of hot beach sand. Finally, she felt free. She didn't have to worry about her clothing being stolen and replaced in the middle of the night, about having to work to pay for someone else's living expenses, or having that awkward discussion about clams tasting better than bananas. All of that… true, it had been behind her for some time, but for the first time she truly felt it, felt that she had embarked on a new life. This was freedom. This was liberation. And she knew who she had to thank.

He, surprised with Ryuunosuke's sudden boldness, took a moment to react, but soon returned her enthusiasm in full. The two felt closer than they ever had, embraced by the other's moistened skin, and when they finally separated, Ryuunosuke realized that she was unsure of how to proceed. Zero's eyes fell upon her expectantly, as if she should know exactly what to do, which itself confused her further… until she remembered his previous request. Looking down at his firm member, it was clear where his mind was. Once, this would have disgusted her, but now… well, at the very least, she was willing to try indulging him, if barely, and with no small amount of embarrassment, leaned back and separated her legs, granting her observer a full view. Her hands lay on her stomach, wanting to move down and cover herself, but knowing that to do so would be unfair to him.

"Don't… don't stare, okay?" she asked, insistently. His eyeline met hers to oblige, but his hand drifted elsewhere, floating gently towards the small, thin patch of hair remaining between her legs. Ryuunosuke's eyes, themselves distracted by her partner's, widened in unexpected tension at his first contact with that area. It was the first time anyone had ever touched her there. Even she had barely done it, due to the lack of privacy in her former lifestyle. His touch was gentle, however, and his motions patient, as he waited for her to release her tension before continuing in any way. Submitting to the sensation, she let go, and very soon after, felt the unfamiliar influence of those gentle strokes upon her unexplored opening.

"Nnh…" She bit her lip, stifling a noise when Zero resumed his movements. He stopped and looked up at her, hesitantly. "It… feels weird, that's all…" she insisted. Zero grinned, just a little, hoping not to intimidate her.

"Give it a little time," he insisted. The shy Ryuunosuke obliged.

Zero's hand moved with soft precision, the way one might pet a hamster, in such timid strokes as to not hurt the poor creature. Perhaps it wasn't so different. Here was Ryuunosuke, herself feeling about as timid, diving into something so unknown to her. She had never shown vulnerability before, and here, this act they were involved in… it required no less than the complete submission of each to the other. Her mind screamed at her, tried to convince her that she shouldn't be doing this, come up with some reason to stop right now; but such thoughts were finally starting to dwindle as her body slowly began to appreciate Zero's caresses, the physical sensations gradually overtaking her mental inhibitions. By the time Zero had expanded his motions to a sliding penetration, she had succumbed entirely, failing even to prevent her soft, pleasured moans from escaping.

She reclined, relaxing as his fingers started to churn deeper into her, until finally, they reached the point of penetration. An unknown sensation began to rise up within her, but before she could release it, his fingers stopped, much to her confusion (and frustration). Zero's eyes met with her expectant gaze, and he began to kneel down into the water…

"Hey, h-hold on a minute! What're you-"

Something soft began to move across her opening.

"…ooh…"

Ryuunosuke trailed off, dazed. It took only seconds from Zero's fanciful tonguework for her to reach her climax, clouding the water. Then, as she lay, panting, he again rose out of it. She was slumped over one side of the bath, and, taking advantage of the opportunity, Zero slid in the other side, lying next to her and wrapping his arms comfortably around her frame in union. Ryuunosuke was unsure of how to react to this—in fact, she was still struggling to recover from the afterglow of the overwhelming experience of pleasure she had just pioneered. Ultimately, she decided not to fight it. The two lay in each other's arms for a few moments longer; neither fists nor words were necessary now.

The walls had finally fallen.


	8. Chapter 7

Days flew by. Their intimate encounter had taken only a week to arrive, but somehow, this short time felt so much more natural with Zero… and he and Ryuunosuke had much more yet to spend with each other. They shared the weekend together, then came Monday, and Tuesday. Ever since her opening up to him, she had been spending her time at home fully nude, as a sign of comradery of sorts… and, truthfully, it was pretty comfortable, too. She continued to wear her boys' uniform to school, still unsure of how to effectively face her father so that he would finally give up on the idea of her being his male heir. Ryuunosuke's hair had grown just ever so slightly in her time away from the old man, who would cut it in her sleep if she didn't keep it short herself—she could only tell it had grown due to the way it bounced around her face. This made her feel just a bit more feminine. The hair elsewhere on her body had been permanently removed by Zero, per her request, which also made her feel a little more confident.

Throughout the week, Ryuunosuke had gone to great lengths to avoid her father, who had finally begun to interfere with classes in the hopes of bringing her back home. His methods grew more extreme by the day, and poor Ryuunosuke had even had to start leaving through the school's rear exit just to avoid his waiting for her at the front gate. By Thursday, she'd had more than enough. Things couldn't continue like this. He was finally pressing the attack, and her defenses were wearing thin. Ryuunosuke would have to come up with a way to put an end to his behavior once and for all.

"Well… I could always kill him," Zero recommended, bluntly.

Ryuunosuke was appalled. "What? We can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Well, I mean…" Ryuunosuke hesitated.

"What good has he done for anyone, what redeeming quality does he possess?" asked Zero. "He's chosen his actions of his own free will, and he's chosen to worsen the lives of those around him—yours most of all."

He'd begun to let his darker, more Olympian side show. Zero had no tolerance for conscious wrongdoing, certainly not a life spent in pursuit of it. But one look at Ryuunosuke told him that such cold judgement was against her nature, as she struggled with his words, wanting to believe that he was right, as he always had been before, but fighting her own feelings towards the matter.

"…You still have some feelings for him, don't you?" he asked.

"N- no! I mean…" She paused, unsure of what she meant. Zero paused with her before speaking conclusively:

"All right, then, we'll forget that option." He could tell Ryuunosuke felt glad about this decision. "That leaves two."

"Two?" she asked.

"If you go to school in a girls' uniform, your father will attack the uniform and destroy it." Ryuunosuke turned, remembering the embarrassing situation from last time. "You could either beat him down every morning for the rest of your academic life, and probably have to face him throughout the day, as well, or…"

"…or?"

"…or, you could take away his ammunition."

"What do you mean?"

"He can't destroy what you're not wearing."

"You… you don't mean?!" Ryuunosuke had begun shouting, as Zero nodded solemnly.

"It may be the only way."

"N…no! Like hell!" Ryuu stammered nervously, blushing at the very thought of attending school nude. "There's just no way I could do that, even if the teachers allowed it. Which-"

"Oh, they wouldn't be a problem," Zero insisted. "I could easily convince them."

"The police-"

"…wouldn't lay a hand on you."

"But… my classmates…!"

"I'd do what I can, but I can't stop gossip. Them, you'd have to deal with yourself."

"Uh-uh. Out of the question," Ryuunosuke stated conclusively. "We'll just… have to find another way."

Zero shrugged. "As you wish, m'lady. You have my support."

The next day, Friday, Mr. Fujinami made his most extreme move yet. Ryuunosuke had spent most of her classes not really paying attention, instead trying to come up with a way to resolve the issue of her father. She went through the day mostly on autopilot—that is, until gym class ended. When she opened her locker to change back into her uniform, she noticed something red on it. Unfolding it, she could barely contain her frustration at what she saw sprawled across it. In big, bright, bold, red-painted characters:

"I AM A MAN"

covered the entire torso in a crude hand that could only be her father's. How he had managed to get into her locker in the girls' changing room was a mystery, but right now, that wasn't what was running through her mind. Her will to put an end to this once and for all increased tenfold that instant.

Ryuunosuke returned to her class in her gym uniform, apologizing to her instructor and offering a brief explanation (with Shinobu's support). Moroboshi, of course, approved of her "fashion statement," which earned him no less than several thousand volts from Lum. Thus, the rest of Ryuu's day passed in quiet rage.

Saturday, Ryuunosuke went to school as normal… but, was finally willing to take drastic action. She did give some serious thought to attending classes nude, but decided it was unnecessary and, instead, disrobed down to her underwear upon entering the school building (much to her classmates' surprise). That should be enough to thwart her father, right? Most of the other students understood her plight after a brief explanation—her father's eccentricities were no small topic of discussion around the school. If this would get him forever off of poor Ryuunosuke's case, her classmates were willing to support her. The male classmates in particular expressed their enthusiastic approval.

Lustful gazes aside, Ryuunosuke's day went largely as normal. Even stuffy old Onsen was oddly understanding about the situation (though he wore his usual reluctant expression at dealing with strangeness in his class). Of course, word spreads fast, and it was only between first and second period that Ryuunosuke's father had already heard about her attire that day. The moment she left her classroom, she found him waiting in the hall with his hands suspiciously behind his back. He wasted no time approaching her, but there was something sinister about his movements… they were slower, more cautious than his usual, reckless self.

"Ryuunosuke? Why aren't you wearing your bandages?"

"I don't have time for this now, **Dad** ," she replied bluntly, with extra irony on the word "Dad." She turned the other direction to take the long way around the school's perimeter to her second class, hoping he would realize that he had no ammunition against her.

Unfortunately for her, this was not the case at all. A glint appeared in the wily old man's eyes as he saw Ryuunosuke turn her back—an opening. Whipping a metal object from behind his back, he lunged at Ryuunosuke from her blind side. Just before he reached her, however, she was able to turn around and quickly catch his hand in mid-air.

He was holding a pair of scissors.

Ryuunosuke began to sweat. She hadn't considered this. Would he really go that far?

"Come now, Ryuunosuke, you shouldn't be wearing such frilly things! People will say things!"

"You're the one people say things about!" Ryuu shouted angrily. She knew she shouldn't be letting him get to her like this, but she was starting to panic. She had been faced with a situation that she hadn't planned for.

"Things like… what a… manly… son I have!" Mr. Fujinami shouted between lunges with his scissors, aiming for Ryuunosuke's underwire, as she frantically dodged his motions. She tried to remember her training. She could handle him now. But even if she did… would it keep him from coming back tomorrow?

"Ah!" That momentary distraction was all it took for her father to land a snip right between her breasts, cutting her bra in two. Without thinking, she hastily brought her arms up to hold the cups in place. Her father's lunges did not stop.

Left and right, bob and weave… the struggle continued, and Ryuunosuke was now at a sore disadvantage, unable to use her hands except to keep herself covered. Snip after snip after snip, the scissors reached one section after another until there was practically nothing left of the garment but the cups which Ryuunosuke held firmly in place. It was then that she remembered Zero's first lesson.

"When you can fight without shame, you can fight without distraction."

Without another thought to the contrary, she released her hands and caught the scissors mid-strike, letting the severed cups fall straight to the floor below and exposing her breasts for all to see. It was something she didn't completely think through, she realized, but now was no time to be dwelling on that. If she wanted to have any chance of winning this fight, she couldn't waste her energy being shy. She thrust her father back, but he quickly regained his balance.

"Ready to give up and come home, are you, boy?" he said, snidely. Ryuunosuke looked at him with fierce determination in her eyes.

"I'm going to beat you this time, old man," she replied. "For the last time." Saying that, she reached down and, biting her lip to stifle her stubborn pride, removed her panties. She was now fully nude in the school hallway—in front of her father, in front of her classmates… everyone. Every one of them could see… it. They could see all of her; absolutely nothing was hidden. Fighting in this state was perhaps the greatest trial Ryuunosuke had ever faced… but she had trained for this. In the strange way that life often works, her time with Zero had been the perfect preparation for this moment. She was going to fight her father with everything she had… and win.

Or perhaps she already had.

Like a deer caught in headlights, Mr. Fujinami stood there, awestruck, unable to respond to what Ryuunosuke had just done. There was no line he had prepared, no pre-meditated denial; there was simply no way to denounce Ryuunosuke's womanhood in this situation, put on clear display for all to see. But Ryuunosuke knew she couldn't afford to think about modesty right now.

"What's wrong? Are you going to fight me?!" she taunted.

"What… what happened to your…?" Her father struggled to try and maintain his facade, but his words were failing him. Wasting no more time on his ridiculous charade, Ryuunosuke made the first strike—something she normally knew to avoid, but this was a special circumstance. She couldn't have been given a better opening.

The cracking impact of her knuckles on his face was the most satisfying sensation she had ever felt. Her father went reeling to the floor, seemingly defeated—but she, more than anyone, knew that he wouldn't stay down. He would be back up in seconds, charging at his daughter with a manic "RYUUNOSUKEEE!" while riding a wave seemingly spawned from nowhere. Ryuu waited, and she waited… and it didn't happen. Several seconds passed, and finally, her father stood up normally… but obviously aggravated, and itching for a fight.

He lunged at Ryuunosuke, but she dodged his first attack. When he struck again, she managed to rotate him around and knock him away from herself, confusing him. He'd never seen her fight using techniques like these. For the first time, he was faced with the fact that his daughter may actually be able to beat him once and for all. He knew drastic measures had to be taken.

"Ryuunosuke…?"

"What?" she asked, impatiently.

"What do you say we put an end to this? If we do, I'll let you have this…" He held up a matching lingerie set in one of his usual attempts to bribe her.

"I don't need it," she said promptly, unfazed. She stood defiantly before him, completely nude. There was nothing he could do to her, she was sure of it.

"…what about this?" He pulled a sailor suit out of nowhere. Ryuunosuke hesitated.

"I… don't need that either," she said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Her father held it up very close to her, tempting her. It was like being presented with a deal from the devil. Slowly, Ryuunosuke reached out for the dress, her father's eyes lighting up as she did so. She took it in her hand. "Good, good, I knew you'd come around," he smiled, insincerely. He then watched Ryuunosuke drop the uniform on the ground unceremoniously. His eyes followed it to the floor, then looked back up at his daughter. "Why did you-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a punch of righteous fury hit him square in the nose, sending him once more to the ground, this time unconscious. It was the first time in her 17 years that she had seen her father go out like that. She came back to reality. She was naked, in the hallway. Her classmates surrounded her, staring. Her fist had blood on it and her father lay, broken and unconscious, on the floor. What had she done?

A pause.

Suddenly, everyone cheered. They were cheering for Ryuunosuke. But why? Had she really done anything worthy of honor?

"They've always been cheering for you," a voice in her head sounded. It was Zero's. She glanced around, trying to find where he was hiding, but had no luck. "From the very beginning. They've known your suffering, and they've wanted to see you rise above it. Your classmates have been trying to help you…"

"Ryuu-chan! That was great!"

"Truly an impressive performance." Moroboshi and Mendou, respectively, congratulated her with their hands on her shoulders and sides in a poorly-disguised attempt to get as close to a feel as possible. This earned them both goose eggs.

"…in their own ways," Zero finished, bemused. Ryuunosuke looked around at her classmates, all of them clearly on her side. Shinobu came up behind her, glancing briefly down at Mr. Fujinami.

"Do you think he'll finally leave you alone?" she asked. Ryuunosuke wasn't sure how to answer conclusively.

"I hope so." She looked down, then at her classmates. "Aren't… aren't any of you bothered by… um…?" She was obviously referring to her state of dress.

"Not at all!" Moroboshi exclaimed. This time it got him an electric lynching.

"But…" Shinobu started, hesitantly. "Do you think… this is really the end of it? I mean… you've proven you can beat him now, right?"

Ryuunosuke spent a moment of thought. She looked down at her father, suspiciously, and said two words: "Sailor suit." She could swear she saw her father's fingers twitch at their mention. At this, she sighed, exasperated.

"I'm not going to fight him anymore," she said, firmly.

"Ryuunosuke…?" Shinobu seemed uncertain.

"I'm… I'm going to stay like this," Ryuunosuke finally announced, further shocking everyone. Immediately her classmates exploded into murmurs and gossip about the implications such a decision could have. But perhaps no one reacted more strongly than Onsen.

"WHAT?!" he cried from behind the crowd of students, then forcibly made his way forward. "Beating down your poor father was one thing, but- mmm! Mmmmmph! MMMPH!"

Suddenly, the old teacher found himself unable to open his mouth at all, his lips sealed by an unseen force. This force quickly made itself known to the confused man in the form of a tall, slender figure appearing seemingly out of nowhere behind him. Sensing the presence of this figure, Onsen glanced back in fear.

"Let's chat."

In moments, Zero had whisked poor old Onsen away into the aether, much to the surprise of his students. Or perhaps they would have been surprised, if they hadn't already exhausted their daily supply of the feeling. Instead, Zero's appearance merely changed the subject of their gossip… chiefly to the nude figure's relationship with Ryuunosuke, which was once again the question on everyone's mind. Ryuunosuke did her best to disavow any serious commitment to him, but at the very least acknowledged that the two of them were together in some form. This sparked no small amount of discussion.

By now, it was nearly the end of second period in its entirety, meaning the class was more or less free to carry on as they had been for at least a few minutes longer. When it came time to begin third period, the unexpected voice of Onsen broke them from their discussions. He was clearly nervous and unsettled, but made no mention of what had happened during his absence or how he had returned, until Mendou asked outright about Ryuunosuke. The troubled Onsen replied, with a shakiness to his voice, that no action would be taken against her.

"Ryuunosuke will… Ryuunosuke will be allowed to attend class… as such… with no negative repercussions."


	9. Chapter 8

When Ryuunosuke made the difficult decision to become a nudist student, she had no idea how incredibly life-changing a decision it would truly be. Overnight, she became the talk of the school—the male students stopped paying attention to the other girls completely, instead lusting after poor Ryuu, who had to deal with their incessant appeals on top of her female classmates' envy. At least most of them were good sports about it. After all, it was nothing new—Ryuu had just replaced Lum as the center of the boys' attention, and neither of them really paid the title much mind.

"You could share a little, y'know," Shinobu might chime in, mockingly.

"Ain't nothin' stoppin' ya from doin' the same thing I am, is there?" Ryuunosuke would lazily respond.

"Eh…?!" They wouldn't even consider it, Ryuu was a special case as far as the class was concerned. Her new dress code somehow kept her father off of her back, though. It seemed like the poor man couldn't bear to even look at his "son" anymore. That suited Ryuunosuke's needs just fine.

Of course, it was in Ryuunosuke's nature to act tough and casual, but behind it all, this was a big adaptation for her, as it would be with anyone. When everyone else went to their lockers in the morning to swap their shoes, Ryuunosuke would disrobe for the day, then get dressed again only before leaving in the afternoon. She'd had it planned that if her father ever confronted her out in front of the school again, she could just undress there and pass uninhibited. The situation never arose.

She'd worn shoes for the first day, but decided it looked "weird" without any other clothes on and opted out thereafter, instead putting them on only for P.E. In the morning, she would walk to her class as she always had, bag slung over her shoulder, then sit down and either nap or eat a hurried breakfast, all while being ogled by her classmates. As long as they kept their hands off, she didn't see it as a problem. In truth, it made her feel just a little more confident… not that she'd ever admit it to anyone.

Just like she had with Zero, though, she had to work to keep that nagging voice in the back of her mind in check. Every time she stood up too fast and her breasts bounced, every time a cool breeze blew through the class and gave her goosebumps or headlights, every time she'd forget herself and let her legs spread into a wide "V" under the desk, that voice would come back to chastise her for letting others see the body she wasn't supposed to have—those "mosquito bites" poking out of her chest, or that "penis turned inside-out" her father had always attacked her for. These were things her mind now knew she didn't need to feel ashamed of, but her heart had been conditioned otherwise, and it was going to take a while to catch up.

To celebrate her decision, Zero had made some "civil" arrangements with the principal to transfer Ryuunosuke over to the girls' P.E. class. Her father had registered her as a male student, and thus, she had always been in the boys' class (but changed in the girls' locker room). This might have been problematic with her new attire, though, especially considering the men's interest in her—she still hadn't forgotten about the time she'd failed to wear anything under her blouse for one period of rugby, and had suspiciously become the target of every tackle in the game. It was a little easier to cope with her plentiful assets, running with the girls, but the workout wasn't quite as thorough. Maybe it would be worth convincing the principal to let her go back to the boys' class after all, she mused to herself.

Lunch was spent surrounded by an audience, and afternoon classes passed in much the same way that morning classes did. By the time the day had ended, Ryuunosuke was tired, but happy. Happy that she had been given a new chance at life, at independence, and at freedom—if all that came at the cost of a couple of creepy stares, it was more than worth it.

At the end of her school day, Ryuu would arrive home and soon after approach Zero for a sparring session—he never even had the chance to approach her about it, anymore; Ryuunosuke was always the first to initiate, at least where combat was concerned. Zero made his move, though. At the end of the session, he would surprise Ryuunosuke by sneaking a peck at her before she could react to the movement. The first day, it caught her completely by surprise… but as the week went on, it became a game for them, albeit a game that only Zero could win. Their sessions were only officially over once he had managed to land that show of affection on the playfully resistant Ryuunosuke, who would challenge herself to dodge and defend for as long as possible.

That wasn't all that changed about their sparring sessions, though. A certain peculiarity couldn't help but make itself known to Ryuunosuke… Zero's lessons had all but vanished. Their sparring sessions had continued, but he no longer went out of his way to try to improve her fighting technique or point out inefficiencies that could be addressed. Did this mean he acknowledged the two of them as equals? It was true that he hadn't referred to her as his student all week… in fact, he'd stopped using pet names entirely, always addressing her frankly as simply "Ryuunosuke." She couldn't help but feel like there was some kind of belayed distance being created between them.

This perceived distance had begun to eat at Ryuunosuke by the end of the week, and before long, she'd started to seriously think about it. For so long, her father had acted as the insurmountable obstacle she needed to overcome to achieve happiness in life, and to gain the freedom of "womanhood." Now that she'd overcome that obstacle, though… now that she'd gained that freedom, she realized that she had no idea where she was going next. She'd never thought much about her future, and here she was, in her final year of high school. This was supposed to be the moment of decision, and it was a decision she knew she hadn't planned for.

What's more, the goal she'd been seeking all this time, that shining ideal of perfect femininity… ever since that conversation with Zero in front of the mirror, she'd been having doubts about it, and about herself. What _did_ being a woman mean to her? Should it still be her goal, or had she been misguided? Had she already achieved it? And how would she know when she did? All of these questions overwhelmed poor Ryuunosuke like a swarm of locusts, contained for all these years before finally being released upon her in one fell plague. Zero wanted badly to help her, but knew well that they were all questions that only she would be able to answer for herself, and no amount of meddling or guidance would give Ryuunosuke the answers she needed.

Life became stagnant for a little while. Ryuunosuke could often be seen lost in thought around the house, even holing herself up in her room for extended periods. As the days went on, she began to lose interest in the sparring sessions, and they dwindled, shorter and shorter. Zero obliged and gave her her space, recognizing the difficult situation she was going through, as well as its incompatibility with any further stages of his training he might have had planned. A disappointing outcome, to be sure, but he found solace in the fact that he had at least done a good deed in granting a tired girl her freedom.

But, with each passing day, he knew beyond further doubt that any purpose he had had in this world had been fulfilled. Ryuunosuke was her own woman now.

She proved that to him the day he tried to leave.

"I knew you were planning this," she told him. Zero had trouble looking at her, certain that she would be glaring at him with disapproval.

"I go where I'm needed," he explained succinctly.

"I need you here," Ryuunosuke insisted. He looked back at her, and for one of the first times in his divine existence, he was surprised by what he saw. Ryuunosuke had tears in her eyes. "You think I didn't see this coming?" she continued, clearly hurt. "You think I can't tell what you're thinking about? That this wasn't something I was worried about?"

"But you-"

"I have a lot to think about… I have a new life, a new future, a new outlook, but the thing I couldn't let you see, the thing that scared me most…" She paused. "…was that you were going to leave."

Zero had never seen Ryuunosuke this emotional. He didn't know she could cry like this, or that she would be doing so for him. He'd tried to distance himself from her since the day he recognized her inner turmoil, to lessen the impact of his inevitable departure, but… it had been just as hard on him. Had she really been using the same strategy? Had her avoidance all been an effort to hide from him how much she was struggling with the thought of their separation?

"Ryuunosuke, I-"

"I'm not finished yet, dammit!" She snapped at him, surprising them both. She had every intention of dominating this conversation. "If you're gonna leave… you're at least gonna say goodbye first."

Ryuunosuke had calmed down just a little bit, a look of determination overtaking her once-melancholy eyes. She started to move closer to Zero, struggling to hide his own pain over the ordeal. Even the god of truth must fight pride. His sympathetic eyes lowered to meet hers.

"And how shall I-"

Interrupting him one final time, Ryuunosuke planted her lips firmly against his, finally bringing to Zero's face the tear he had been fighting. The feeling they shared in that moment lasted long enough that Ryuunosuke swore that she, too, must have become immortal. When they finally parted this serene rapture, they were met with another moment of silence.

"Even if I can't stop you…" Ryuunosuke began, fighting her feelings. "I want… I at least want to be with you once, to know what it feels like. I don't know that… I'll ever have the chance again."

Zero could not argue nor protest. More importantly, he didn't want to. It saddened him that this was the way things had to end, moreso that anything he could say would only hurt her more than he already had. And so, with a silent, unarmed smile, he held her as closely to him as possible. He knew he had reached her, and nothing could make him prouder.

In a surprising motion, Ryuunosuke was the one to break their embrace and make the first move. She was determined to be the one holding the reigns, it seemed. The gentleman obliged as the anticipatory Ryuu knelt down, eyes cautiously glued to her partner for fear of any sudden movement or retaliation, grasping the object of her desires firmly—almost a little too firmly. No teaching old dogs new tricks, they say.

Tenderly, gingerly, her tongue brushed against its tip, circling it on an exploratory mission. Her grip softened and her hand moved slowly. Clearly she was making a "ladylike" endeavor… or so Zero thought, before her trademark roughness returned in full force, the bold Ryuunosuke taking it all the way to the back of her throat in a single swift motion. She may have never been able to catch the divine off guard with a punch, but she more than compensated for all those missed opportunities here.

Poor Zero was unable to react as the challenger Ryuunosuke put her all into a relentless sexual assault, applying as much speed and suction as her well-practiced lungs could supply. It was all too much for the hot-blooded male, defeated in mere moments by the challenger's surprise attack. Ryuunosuke retreated to the head when the flood gates opened, releasing into her waiting mouth.

A pause, and… she swallowed. The look on her face made it clear that it wasn't pleasant, but not as unpleasant as she had expected it to be. The look on Zero's face was one of unconditional defeat. For the first time, Ryuunosuke got to be the one wearing that smug smile of superiority.

Impressed, but not deterred, the god of passion enthusiastically accepted the unspoken challenge his student had now proposed. Their exchange of grins was that of two warriors who lived for combat, able to at long last put their abilities to the test in one final bout of glory. Neither of the two was going to back down now.

This time, Zero took the initiative, meandering up to his partner in the sly, controlled way that only he could meander. Ryuunosuke turned at the ready. When the master made his move, she rotated away, but didn't expect to be caught by his off hand, whose support surprised her long enough for him to get ahold of her torso. Once he had moved into position behind his target, there was no escape for the pupil.

Her body shivered as that familiar hand ran sensually down her spine, across her buttocks, and back up the side of her torso, ending its journey ceremoniously upon her right breast. Any struggle was prevented by the neck locked firmly around hers, whispering sweet silence into her unguarded ear, her cheek, her lips… and all the while, another hand made its way to her real weak spot, delving smoothly into its virgin depths as if running through an engagement ring. Her body cried out in reaction against her spirit's will. Advantage Zero.

Who knows how long this lock was held? Certainly not Ryuunosuke, whose resistance was melting in the face of this full-body assault. However, she was determined not to be defeated… she still had her own weapons to employ, and in an aggressive ploy to break free, took hold of her opponent's weak spot with her left hand. His defenses were strong… too strong. She moved further south.

As with any self-preserving male, protecting the jewels was Zero's top priority. He was forced to withdraw. He had never expected his opponent to go to such lengths… was nothing sacred?

He caught only a momentary glimpse of Ryuunosuke's satisfied smirk as she took the offensive, forcing Zero to the ground below and straddling her opponent like a bean bag. By the time reactions could be had, it was clear to both of them that she was now the one in control… and what she wanted, she got.

And in that moment, their eyes met, locked in a psychological duel over where things would go from here.

"Guess there's no point resisting, is there?" she knew he'd say.

"You know what I want," he knew she'd respond.

"But can you endure it?" This was a question both parties had for Ryuunosuke, and she didn't know how to answer her partner or herself… but she knew how to find out. Silently, ever so guardedly, she reached behind her to the object in question, smooth and rigid, and with some subtle repositioning, prepared herself for the final frontier.

"You're sure this is what you want?" he wanted to ask.

"I know I'm ready," she wanted to respond. This wasn't just a testament of their feelings for one another, feelings strong enough that each would spare the other the painful thought of their parting… it was a rite of passage, a trial through which, once and for all, Ryuunosuke could prove her strength and her determination to Zero. By proving what she would do with him, she hoped to prove what she could do without him.

And then, without thought, without doubt, without hesitation, the two were united. In a bold display of willpower, Ryuunosuke had hoped to conduct the act in a single fluid motion, but hesitated and stopped at the head. It alone was enough to make her cry out and tighten her grip on her partner… but only for a brief moment. Her endurance challenged, she quickly returned to her strongest face, eyes of fierce determination belaying the tears painting their corners.

Zero would obviously see right through her mask; she expected a smirk. But to her surprise, she received none. Zero simply looked on in quiet respect for her show of willpower. Ryuunosuke relaxed, and in moments, had regained her full composure. The piercing twinge of pain ever so gradually made way for a new, daunting sensation… and it grew stronger the deeper she moved down, until finally, she felt his touch in the deepest part of her, a place she had never known any kind of contact. It was almost as if it hadn't even existed before now, and she had just discovered a brand new part of her. It was, in all senses of the phrase, her inner womanhood.

Once Ryuunosuke began to move, the two were inseparable, every enthusiastic motion forever engraved in their memories. Ryuu in particular made sure to make note of every sensation, every emotion, every synapse and nerve ending relaying her experience, down to the clenching of her toes. As a small animal imprinting its mother's face upon hatching, she wanted to be sure she would forever remember the moment of her awakening. She hoped then that, perhaps, it might overshadow the memory of their parting.

"I'm going to be myself."

Zero looked curiously at his partner after her spontaneous affirmation, the two now lying together in peaceful reverie after their shared completion. Her eyes still had that fire of independence, determined to show him, in a new way, that he no longer had to worry about her.

"I'm going to be Ryuunosuke, and that's all I need to be. Man or woman… they're just words. Not who I am or who I'm gonna try to be."

Zero smiled his benevolent smile, hearing his pupil's words. They eased him, told him that she was going to be all right, even after he left… and that, in turn, eased Ryuunosuke. These few short weeks had made for a long ride… for both of them. It was difficult to see it come to an end. It always is.

"You're leaving now, aren't you?" she asked, calmly.

"I suppose…" He contemplated to himself, looking to the ceiling. "I can stay just a little bit longer."

 **SUBJECT R1**

 **Result: Inconclusive**


End file.
